Silent Tears
by sodapoppp
Summary: (They tried to bury me in a grave, but I knocked 'em down with their shovel.) CH 9: Locke gets mad. Gau gets glad! Oh, and Terra kind of gets kidnapped. That might be kind of big. Yeah.
1. Chapter 1 Ooh! So creative!

Silent Tears  
  
A/N: Another angsty Terra fic in which she longs for Locke.  
  
  
  
Except I like to think my lil' ficcy goes a bit deeper than that.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Terra stared at the direction of the alter, where everybody else was looking at as well. Locke and Celes could see nothing but eachother, their eyes full of nothing but pure joy and love. It was sweet, yes, romantic, definitely, but it sickened her. She had seen it so many times it bothered her that she should even care at all still.  
  
Relm sat to her left, skillfully sketching a picture of the two as of now. Even in her drawings their love-sick eyes were apparent. Idly, Terra smoothed her red dress with her hands on her lap. It was a fire engine red, making her stand out with a glance, but in a good way. She knew she looked stunning in it, which was why she wore it in the first place - she regretted it now, because everyone else was wearing quite mellow tones, plus Edgar was giving her glances even more than usual, which made her a little nervous.  
  
Speak of the devil. Now Edgar looked her way, once more, his eyes seeming to take in everything. He is not a perverted man - in fact, he's very honorable, and his glance was - seeminginly - as every bit innocent as the grin Sabin gave her and the intentionally loud yawn Setzer made - but he made Terra feel so uncomfortable.   
  
"Yes, I do." Celes' voice, standing out from the priests' usual drone, made Terra's eyes shift back to the alter, as well as Edgar's.  
  
As Terra watched Celes smile now, she thought jealously for the millionth time how beautiful Celes was. They were a match made for heaven. Locke wasn't charmingly handsome as Edgar, the natural knight-in-shining-armor, was, nor buff, bronze, and sturdy like Sabin, but with a lean, wry form and a matching grin, with winking grey eyes.  
  
He looked out of place in the sleek black penguin suit, constantly pulling at the bow tie, but he managed not to fidget under Celes' steady but dangerous eyes, just daring him to take a rude scratch.  
  
Celes, as a Magitek Knight, was a sturdy woman, but somehow still slender, with a pale complexion and crystal blue eyes. Her fluffy white wedding gown with a tight bodice seemed unlike her personality, but flattered her figure well.   
  
"And do you, Locke Cole, take Celes to be your wife?"  
  
"I do." Locke was grinning like an idiot.  
  
"Then you may kiss the bride."  
  
Terra wanted to close her eyes, like she had planned to earlier, but her eyes seemed to be taped open as she saw Celes lean in, and Locke moved his lips to her...  
  
She heard Relm sigh next to her. "Don't they look so happy, Terra?"  
  
Relm whispered. Terra never answered.  
  
As they finally liplocked, everyone cheered, and a minute later, their mouths were still together, and Setzer, with impatience and perhaps a bit of envy, said loudly, "Any day now!"   
  
Locke and Celes quickly broke apart, looking sheepish, but happy.  
  
The wedding had taken place in Figaro castle. Edgar was all but the official 'big event host', from everything back to the reunion of Kefka's death (2 months ago) to weddings for all his friends.  
  
As it was, the castle had been expanding, and still was. Plus, it was right next to South Figaro, because Edgar had felt the need to be close by his people, without having to go past the torturous desert and cave for it. Everyone left the great hall to go to the new ballroom,   
  
for the reception.   
  
The orchestra, courtesy of the Opera House's never-ending graitidude, was playing a moderate-tempo waltz as Locke led Celes to the center of the room, and they began dancing by themselves, smiling at eachother all the while. Soon everyone else was dancing too. Relm, who had stuck by her side the entire time, pulled Terra's arm towards an empty table and they sat down.   
  
"I hope I'll get married and have a wedding like this." Relm said in awe. "A wedding in a giant castle.. a ballroom and orchestra to go with it..its just like a fairytale, isn't it, Terra?"   
  
"Mmm." Terra mumbled in reply, looking at Locke and Celes, who had now left to the balcony for some private time.   
  
Relm frowned at her. "Terra," she said in a mature voice unlike her own. "You've been acting strange all day. Tell me what's wrong."   
  
Terra looked at her in surprise, and was met with stern blue eyes much older than 15. "I..." She faltered, and looked away. "It's nothing."  
  
Relm looked at her, and sighed. "I have a pretty good idea of what it is already, you know." She said.  
  
"But you have to admit it to me - or anyone, first, so you can finally admit it to yourself."   
  
Amazed, Terra watched as Relm unseated herself to walk towards Gau looking out of place in a formal suit, and dragged him to the dance floor. Terra smiled to herself. Relm wasn't one to sit around - she was a confident girl. Strago would be proud.  
  
"Alright there, Terra?" Sabin was sitting himself down.   
  
"Hi Sabin." Terra grinned at his fidgety form in the constricting penguin suit. He was worse than Locke. "This suit is horrible." Sabin said, scratching at his neck. "I think the bow tie's possessed. It's trying to strangle me."  
  
Terra laughed, but it was an empty, hollow noise. She hoped Sabin wouldn't notice. Sabin surveyed her. "What happened to the green dress? It was nice. It made you look very...er, elegant. Not that you don't look like that all the time - " Sabin rushed, but Terra stopped him with a laugh. "You're not very good at wooing girls, are you, Sabin?" Then, in a more uhappy voice, she said, "Do you think this dress is revolting too? I'm getting sick of it myself."  
  
"All I know is, my brother's been staring at you like hell's frozen over." He paused, and hurried, "I mean that in a good way."  
  
"I know you do." Terra smiled faintly. "Is this how you've been acting around Lana? I can't imagine you're getting very far."  
  
"I can't speak a sentence without stuttering to her." He sighed. "My brother's advice isn't very good."   
  
Terra had a hoot. "You've been using EDGAR's tactics?" She said.  
  
Lana was a girl from South Figaro. She stood out from the other village girls, in all their blonde hair, blue-eyed glory - she had darkish-skin, like she had a good tan, with black hair in elaborate braids, and eyes so azure they were purple. The only reason Sabin knew she existed however was because of her fighting ability - and thanks to her deadly martial arts technique, intense concentration and devotion, and a sarcastic, smart mouth to rival even Setzer and Locke, he was inlove with her. A complication maybe - she was Vargas' sister.   
  
Sabin rose to get a drink, and a second later his seat was taken by   
  
Edgar. "You look lovely tonight, Terra." Edgar said smoothly.   
  
"Thank you, Edgar." Terra said politely. She personally didn't care if she looked like hell or not. She felt horrible, through and through.   
  
He offered a glove-covered hand. "Would you care to dance?"   
  
Terra blushed. "I..i don't really know how to dance."   
  
Edgar laughed. "It's very simple, really. Please?"   
  
Terra gave Edgar her hand, and they rose together. She put her hand on his shoulder, as she had seen everyone else do. Edgar still held her other hand, and put his right hand on her waist. Once again Terra felt the squirming, uncomfortable feeling, wishing that Locke were here holding her hand instead of Edgar. ~What kind of a person am I?~ She thought, horrified. ~I shouldn't be - I mean, Locke's married now, for god's sake!~ She thought fiercely to herself, as Edgar steered them around. She automatically followed him. ~And Edgar isn't a terrible person - he's a wonderful friend. I just...~ She sighed deeply at this point, and Edgar peered at her concerned. "Is something wrong?" He asked.  
  
Terra stared back at him. "I just...I'm tired."   
  
He took her answer with stride, probably because she looked the part. Her eyes were damp and watery, as if she'd been yawning all day.   
  
The song ended, and Terra rubbed her eyes. "I'm going to refresh myself, Edgar." She smiled appreciatively. "You're a very good leader."  
  
"And you didn't need any help at all. You're a natural." Edgar smiled back, and was interrupted as the Chancellor came hurrying towards him, a distressed look on his face and babbling on about some trouble with the refreshment tables.  
  
Terra picked up her skirt slightly and walked towards the balcony.   
  
She needed fresh air, and leaned against the cold stone, taking in the crisp night wind. "Terra!"   
  
She turned, and saw Locke walk towards her, a strange look on his face, of one who is lost and confused and doesn't know what to do. "I saw you dancing with Edgar. What are you doing outside?"  
  
It was very unlike Locke, and scared Terra a little. "I just came to get some air. What's the matter, Locke?" She asked soothingly.   
  
"I..it's nothing." He said unconvincingly, much like the 'It's nothing' that Terra gave Relm. This displeased Terra. He could at least tell his best friend what was wrong. "Where's Celes?" She asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.  
  
He glanced at her, and looked away. "Well, I'll answer the first question as well as this one. Celes and I..we just had our first married lovers' quarrel." He said the last bit sarcastically, but he still looked hurt, and Terra took his hand. Cold and clammy. Very unlike Locke as well. "Well?" She said, gently pushing him.   
  
"Well..you know me. I'm a treasure hunter. I want to explore the world's ends forever until there's nothing left." He grinned toothily at her. "And Celes?" She asked.  
  
"Celes..Celes is lost." He said shortly. "She doesn't know what to do with herself anymore. It's like...I don't know." He stared glumly out at the sky. "The one thing she knows she wants to do is to go to Narshe, where the central military action is taking place, to help rebuild most of the cities and regain order, like government. She and I both know the soldiers of Gestahl could use some guidance, and Celes is a general, pure and bred." He paused. "Does she not want to be with me?"   
  
"It's not that, Locke!" Terra assured him. He gave her a look. "I'm serious! Women's intuition, trust me." She gave him a grin, and he smiled faintly back. "Look, I'll talk to her. She doesn't want to get away from you right after she's married you. There's a reasonable explanation for all of this."   
  
"Thanks, Terra." Locke put his arm around her and squeezed her a little as a half hug, and Terra made a noiseless sigh. "No problem."   
  
He studied her for a moment. "What happened to the green dress from the reunion?" He asked. "I liked it a lot better."   
  
"Why is everybody saying that?" Terra said. "Sabin said it too. I thought it was a nice dress. It's red - it kind of reminds me of my old outfit."   
  
"Aw, your green dress made you look so - I dunno." Locke shrugged, struggling with words he didn't feel comfortable saying now as a married man. "This red dress makes you look like a temptress." He wriggled his eyebrows. "The seductive demoness...female version of Edgar.."   
  
Both Terra and Locke burst out laughing. The laughs was loud and delivered clearly into the night, but they calmed down after a while and there was silence.   
  
"I don't know, sweetie." Locke said suddenly. He looked up at the stars. "What are all we heroes supposed to do now? We've defeated Kefka - there's no immediate new danger that we know of - are we supposed to lay around and become just like anybody else - settle down with a job, get married, have kids, the works? I don't feel like that - Celes and I won't be ready to have kids for many years, I can tell. I don't have a sense of purpose anymore - I don't feel like I have a role to play that's actually worth pursuing. Maybe i'm just supposed to wander around the world, a kindred spirit, with no real purpose to his life. I know you have a role you want to play - you, Terra, wish to raise an orphanage and be around kids, receive all the love you'll ever need. And I'm just realizing now, maybe I don't want this kind of love, this - bondage, marriege, even with Celes, the woman I love. Marriege seems kind of like forcing to make things permanant instead of being free. Maybe I shouldn't trouble you with these problems, sweetie. Or maybe, just maybe, I should've thought over this BEFORE I got hitched. What do you think, Terra?" He turned to grin at her, but was shocked to see tears streaming silently down her face. Her mouth was moving, as if she wished to speak, or had sobs that wouldn't come out. He hugged her, whispering comforting words to her as her tears wet his shirt, rubbing her back gently, all the while wondering, amazed, how somebody could cry silently. Completely silent. He had never seen it happen before.  
  
  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: NO, that's not the end of the fic! If it were, it'd be the most stupid ending. Ever. Period. Well, besides the ending to Spiderman. I mean, really. "I love you Mary Jane, and I've wanted to be with you since I was a kid, but I can't. And ya know what, that's okay, cuz I'm SPIDERMAN!!! WOOHOO!"  
  
If I were Mary Jane, I'd just be like "Up yours, Spidey." 


	2. Chapter 2

Silent Tears  
  
A/N: Another angsty Terra fic in which she longs for Locke.  
  
  
  
Except I like to think my lil' ficcy goes a bit deeper than that.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
  
  
Terra awoke in her guest room in the castle in the morning, with her shoes off, still in her dress, and under the covers. Perhaps Locke had taken her upstairs - she must've fallen asleep leaning against him.   
  
Thinking of Locke brought back tears that were still unused since last night, and once more she was completely silent.   
  
[You, Terra, wish to raise an orphanage and be around kids. You'll receive all the love you'll ever need.]   
  
~That's not true!!~ Terra thought, pumelling her pillow in fustration. Her love to her children, while strong, was not enough. It filled her need to have maternal love, but not love. Pure love - passion - lust - she wished to experience any and all of it.   
  
~What's wrong with me?~ She was apalled at herself. Why was she so selfish? Celes and Locke were meant for eachother. She was Locke's best friend, the one he came to for help, and she came to him for comfort.   
  
It made it hurt that much more.   
  
And passion? Lust? She sounded like a sex-crazed Edgar.   
  
Thinking that made her laugh out loud, relief from endless hours of self pity.   
  
The fact that Celes was having problems as a wife already, that Locke was having doubts as a married man, didn't help. She had selfish, selfish, greedy thoughts, hoping secretly for them to seperate..  
  
~I must stop crying. Now. I must!~ She took a deep, shuddering breath, and swallowed her tears. ~I can't be a crybaby forever..I have to accept this maturely, not like a child that wants candy.~  
  
She walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. A young woman looked back at her. Her eyes were a bit squinty and puffy, and her nose was red as well, but they would fade. She blinked.  
  
Terra had ruby red eyes. They were the one remainder that would remind her forever, every time she looked in a mirror, she was once an Esper. Her eyes were once emerald green, like her hair, but had returned to the red eyes of her Esper form after defeating Kefka.   
  
Somehow, this brought her to think of Celes.   
  
Celes was maybe a couple months older than Terra.  
  
Her tumbling, full white-blonde locks have never failed to flatter her. Her chin was rather pointy, and so was her nose, which stuck into the air, true to her proud personality. Despite the sharp, chiseled angles of her face, she was still beautiful. Her eyes were icy crystals, the palest shade of blue. She was taller than Terra by about 5 or 6 inches, and Locke was only just barely her height. Celes - the tall, cold, and beautiful ex-general, and pure as snow.  
  
Terra knew for a fact that the overall male population found Celes attractive compared to Terra. It happened every time someone met Celes after meeting Terra. Edgar 'fell inlove' with Terra the moment he saw her, like he fell inlove with every woman he met. Then he began ignoring her once he met Celes - though she couldn't honestly say that he had ever been enamored of Celes - he respected Locke too much to do anything, perhaps. Locke basically did the same thing, but in a less womanizing way. He promised to protect Terra....  
  
~and told the very same thing to Celes. But at least he kept that promise for her.~ Terra thought. When Terra saw Locke arrive in Arvis' house, dirty, smelly, and grinning as always, her heart had lept at the sound of his voice, and not quite sure why. Locke was the first person she had ever trusted...as far as she could remember, anyway. She didn't know what to think of the woman - yet she was vaguely familiar. And when she saw how protective Locke was of Celes, the traitor general of the Empire, three things hit her at once: the remembrance of Celes from her Imperial days, a reminder of how this was exactly how Locke acted for Terra, and a small, strange, and unfamiliar feeling of jealousy.   
  
  
  
"Morning, sleepyhead. Its 10 o'clock." Setzer informed her as she entered the informal dining room. Edgar was seated across from him. They were in the middle of solitaire, where Setzer was undoubtedly winning yet again.  
  
"Morning yourself, Setzer. Where is everyone?" Terra grabbed the pot of coffee and poured herself a cup.  
  
"Sabin is somewhere outside, probably meditating his chi or something." Edgar said, as Setzer chortled. "Locke and Celes, of course, are in their one-bed luxery room I provided them, but I imagine they're packing as we speak for their real honeymoon. I think Gau's outside, maybe with Sabin. Mog and Umaro left early with their blessings. Cyan and Relm are both still in their rooms."   
  
Terra nodded, and sat herself down, sniffing at the steaming mug of liquid appreciatively. "Did Shadow or Gogo happen to stop by anytime last night? I can't really remember."  
  
"Ah, Shadow. He was kind enough to leave a carrier-pigeon letter to us, wishing Celes and Locke 'good luck.'" Edgar twisted his mouth to a strange smile. "I can't imagine what he means by 'good luck'. Perhaps he's had experience in the marriege business."   
  
"Gogo has vanished from the face of the earth. He might be stranded on an island (again) or dead for all we know." Setzer said.   
  
"I win again, Edgar."  
  
Edgar sighed, handing a bag of coins to Setzer.  
  
Setzer weighed the bag and winked at Terra. "I'd best be off soon. I'm destined for Narshe, where Edgar has hooked me up with some folks who might help me out with a new airship. Though I doubt any of them will match Daryl's skill."   
  
"A new airship?" Terra said. "Whats wrong with the Falcon?"  
  
"Nothing! The Falcon is my ladylove - she's as strong as an ox, too. But if the Returners truly wish to start a project of rebuilding all the towns, they'll need something to carry back and forth supplies and people. And I'll never use Falcon for such a thing - I won't stand for my beauty to have to lift bricks and shovels."  
  
"You speak as if the airship were a woman." Terra laughed.   
  
"She might as well be. Then I could marry her." Setzer stood up, stretching. "That reminds me. What happened to the bouqet throwing? I don't remember seeing a mob of crazed middle-aged women tackling Celes' flowers."  
  
"I reminded them about that, but I suppose they forgot." Edgar shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. All the guests have left, leaving behind quite a mess as well." He kicked a balloon out of the way.  
  
"If I should save time and fuel, I'd like to make one trip. Or," as Setzer gazed at Terra, "if you wish to continue your vacation here, I will return in 2 days. I'll be busy until then."  
  
"Hmm, well, I should be getting back to the children." Terra said.   
  
"Relm, Sabin, Locke, and Celes are all staying for at least one more day! The children can wait, Terra." Edgar said.  
  
"Oh, all right." said Terra. "I hope Katarin and Duane can handle the kids by themselves."  
  
"I'm sure they can." Edgar assured her. "They're quite mature and responsible for their age."  
  
"I guess you're right." Terra sighed. "That's what happens when you get married at 16."  
  
"Inevitably, yes." Setzer pulled Terra into a farewell hug, clapped Edgar on the back, and as dramatically as he always was, turned and walked down stairs to the entrance, his long jacket billowing behind him with an invisible wind. The only thing missing was a sunset.   
  
A/N: :D  
  
"Aaaaoooohhh!!!" Something small, green, and skinny jumped through the high window on the ceiling, while doing flips in mid-air, and landed almost silently on all four - legs and arms.   
  
"Wow. That training must really be paying off." Terra said. She leaned over the table and uncovered a large pot - last night's turkey. "Gau HUNGRY!!" The boy leaped - literally - onto the table and shoveled in. Sabin made a less dramatic entrance through the stairs.   
  
Someone yawned. "Last night was spectacular!" Relm said in a tired   
  
voice, stumbling along behind Sabin. "But I think I drank something I thought was punch..I have an awful headache..."  
  
The adults glanced at eachother. Gau didn't even look up from his food. "I didn't even know we had served alcohol with the punch!" Terra said.  
  
Edgar scratched his head in an un-kingly manner. "Well, they were for the adults, and I thought people could tell them apart.."  
  
"Gau drink same thing, and feel fine!" Gau said, and bent his head down again. Relm shook her head, and wobbled down the stairs. Cyan was the last one to duck out his head and walk downstairs, stretching luxeriously. "Who's that eating the leftover turkey? Gau!!"   
  
  
  
At the same time, unbeknownst to the crowd in the kitchen, there was a riff going on in the newlyweds' bedroom.  
  
"I can't believe you actually reserved something for us in Jidoor for our honeymoon! Without telling me!" Celes yelled.   
  
Locke tried to explain again, fruitlessly.   
  
"But, Celes, its for the - "  
  
"I thought THIS was our honeymoon! A quiet get-together with our friends, and then we'd go to Narshe so I can get a headstart on organizing Narshe - " Celes was turning a little red in the face from yelling. "You couldn't understand that, obviously!!"  
  
"Damn it, Celes!" Locke roared. "Did you even want to get married? I reserved some seats for us at the opera house!"   
  
"Oh - Locke.." Celes seemed to be calming down, speaking in a quiet voice. "You know as much as I'd love that...The last couple of months have been chaos, and now the world's finally ready to start coming together again, and we'll be busier than ever, and I really want to start now.."   
  
Locke stared at her. This was either a fault or virtue with Locke - he never, ever let a person get away with avoiding a question. He was an excellent interrogater - no one could ever change the subject until they answered his question. He was actually quite persistant.   
  
"Did you even want to get married?" Locke repeated in a softer voice.  
  
Celes was used to Locke's persistancy, however. "Of course!" She said. "Why would I otherwise?"   
  
"Because I don't think I can put up with your shit much longer." Locke said, turning away from him. "Or if its not you that didn't want to get married, maybe its me now that doesn't want to be married..."  
  
Celes gaped at him.   
  
"Fuck you, Locke Cole." Celes said coldly, her eyes turning icy in a mere second. "I don't have to put up with your shit either." She stormed out of the room, leaving Locke to stare silently out the window.  
  
"Where's Setzer?" Celes' bark interrupted everyone's mellow mood and made them jump. "Oh, he just left. Why, leaving already? Impatient to get to the honeymoon?" Edgar said slyly.  
  
Celes didn't answer him. "Then I'll borrow one of your chocobos, Edgar." She said. It wasn't a request.   
  
"Oh - um, alright." Edgar said, in a confused voice, getting up and leaving with Celes to arrange a chocobo. Terra, Relm, Cyan, and Sabin all looked at eachother. Gau just kept on eating.  
  
"Goodbye, Edgar. Tell everyone thank you for coming. And thank you for all you've done." Celes kissed him on the cheek and got on Wark, a scrawny young male chocobo with a strong set of vocal chords, and the best chocobo they had in such short notice. "So I suppose Locke will be joining you later?" He assumed. Celes stopped for a moment, looking at the ground. "..Perhaps."   
  
"Alrighty then!" Edgar said brightly, and lifted Celes up onto the chocobo. Edgar waved at Celes until her figure was gone far into the desert, and he returned inside.   
  
Celes rode away into the desert, looking back at the castle ever so often until it disappeared out of view. Once it did, she slowed down the chocobo to a halt and stared at the sandy ground. Her eyes filled up, and let out the tears she had been holding in since she left the castle. (Never let your enemies see your fear.) She voiced one of Emperor Gestahl's old rules. She stayed there for quite a while, sobbing quietly, while Wark stared concernedly at his rider. 


	3. That insane nuthead Kefka

Silent Tears  
  
A/N: Chapter 3 - Flashback chapter!! Except..well, not really a flashback...  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Uwee hee hee!! Burn! Let it all burn!"  
  
Terra's eyes snapped open. There was absolutely NO ONE else in this universe that laughed like that. Only one. Perhaps she had amnesia, as Locke had said..but she couldn't forget that laugh. Not even if she tried.   
  
"KEFKA! What is the meaning of this??"  
  
It was Edgar. The king fellow that was apparently good friends with Locke. Well, she hadn't wanted to trust him at first, but if he was friends with Locke, he couldn't be all bad. At least, thats what Terra tried to convince herself to think. Mister King Figaro was allies with the Empire - and now she tried to remember if this was a bad or good thing, as Kefka seemed to be laughing uproariously at Edgar's accusations, as if this was all a good show.   
  
"Terra! TERRA!" She had closed her eyes again, and not a second later Locke shook her. "We've got to move!"   
  
"TOO LATE!" The door blew into pieces, as Locke ducked behind the bed and Terra raised the covers to shield themselves from the flying bits of the burning door. ~Kefka..~ Terra thought to herself, terrified, as the man, with a face brightly decorated as a clown's, with a wide sneer permanently sketched on his face..  
  
"You'll be coming back with me, dearie." Kefka said, stretching out  
  
a white glove-covered hand. "Emperor Gestahl misses you terribly."   
  
"No!!" Locke jumped up and dashed at Kefka, with a dagger in front of him to make a clean sweeping motion. It happened very fast -   
  
"Blood..." Kefka touched at his stomach, where a small, but very noticeable gash was set...he seemed weak at the sight of it at first,   
  
but looked up, seeing red. "You'll pay for that!!" He shrieked, and raised a hand. "Fire 2!!"   
  
Locke fell to the ground, his body burning still. The smell of burning flesh made Terra gag, and eyes water at the sight of him. Kefka approached her steadily with a smile. Terra fumbled for the dagger Locke had given her, hidden inside her boots, and tried to stab it at him, but Kefka caught her wrists just in time. His hands were breaking her wrists, making a burning sensation.."No, dear. I think its time you come back home." Kefka said musically.   
  
"Locke!" Terra choked out.  
  
  
  
Of course, there was no reply.  
  
As Kefka struggled with his grip on Terra's arms, she kicked herself mentally for being so foolish. ~I'm not a helpless damsel.~ She thought to herself furiously, and stretched out her fingers right at Kefka's face. "Fire!"   
  
"AARRGH!!!" Kefka immediatedly let go and staggered this way and that, his eyes blinded. Terra wanted to go finish him off right then, and took a second teary glance at Locke's still form, but..  
  
Terra jumped out of the bed and raced out the door. "Edgar!! EDGAR!" She shouted, until she got to the hall, and stopped -   
  
Everything - and everyone - was on fire. Either that or already dead and still smoldering. Edgar lay by his throne, still and silent.   
  
Terra stood before his body, horrified. "E..everyone I meet..gets killed. Because of me. This is all because of me!" Terra knelt down next to Edgar and unseathed his Regal Cutglass from his belt. She stood again and in ready position.   
  
"That's enough, puppet!" Kefka screeched, bursting through the doors dramatically. But Terra had already began to run towards him, sword raised..and was felled by a sudden troop of soldiers that came behind her. They held her down as she squirmed and kicked, and Kefka came forward with that blasted crown... her eyes widened. "No, no.."   
  
"Yes, yes, m'dear!" Kefka said cheerily, and lowered the crown. 


	4. I Hate that I Love You

Chapter 4  
  
"NOO!! Leave me be, Kefka!!"   
  
  
  
Terra kicked off all her covers in her sleep. Someone shook Terra.  
  
That only made Terra kick harder. She came in contact with Edgar's chest. "Oof!" Edgar fell back to hit the ground. "Terra kicks..very hard." Edgar said, dazed.  
  
  
  
..Terra saw Kefka fall from her powerful kick. Somehow it was enough to distract all the soldiers, and she broke through the circle, taking advantage of the moment of weakness. "Stop!! Stop her, you fools!!" Kefka screeched angrily. "Edgar!! Are you all right??"   
  
"Huh?" Terra blinked her eyes open. Someone had turn on the lights, and Terra's eyes hurt from the sudden brightness. Blurrily, she saw Relm's form crouched nearby Edgar. She turned her head slightly, to see Locke's concerned face inches away. "L..locke?? You're okay!!" Terra jumped forward. Locke was surprised from the fast movement, and fell back as Terra hugged him. "Ow!" Locke winced at hitting the hard floor, with Terra around his neck.   
  
"What the hell is going on??" Sabin walked into the room, and raised an eyebrow at the strange sight - his brother was leaning against the wall with a dazed look in his eyes, with Relm fretting over him, Locke was on the ground, with Terra on him hugging him fiercely, while Gau was watching Relm and Edgar jealously in the corner. And all in their pajamas.   
  
"Terra was having a nightmare." Edgar pulled away from Relm and wobbily stood up. "And did you also know she kicks like a kangaroo?"   
  
"MMmff, Terra, geroff me." Locke said in a muffled voice. "Yerhair sin my mof."   
  
"Terra, I think Locke's saying your hair is in his mouth." Sabin said helpfully, and Terra immediatly began blushing, jumping up and away from Locke. Sabin helped Locke up, who dusted himself off. "Well, I learned one new thing tonight." Locke grinned toothily at Terra. "Terra uses coconut shampoo."   
  
Terra blushed even brighter, if that was possible. "I-i'm sorry, everyone." She said in typical Terra fashion. "I didn't mean to wake everybody up."   
  
"Of course you didn't." Relm said. Gau searched her face for any sign of any kind of emotion - perhaps giddyness for being able to hover around Edgar? - but her expression was unreadable.   
  
"Oh, Edgar." Terra put her hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."   
  
"It was his own fault." Cyan had been unnoticed all this time, leaning against the door frame behind Sabin. He snorted, very un-like Cyan. "He was hovering above you similarily to Relm - " Relm blushed. " - and he thought it'd be a brilliant idea to kiss you like Sleeping Beauty."   
  
This made everyone laugh, while Edgar was indignant. "I was not!" He said crossly. "I was inspecting her face for - um, moles!"   
  
"Moles, Brother?" Sabin howled.   
  
They all departed the room, one by one. First Cyan, who obviously was in a grumpy mood and did not enjoy being awakened in the middle of night, Sabin who was still guffawing, a red-in-the face Edgar angered at the fact all of his dignity had been lost, Relm, still cooing over Edgar, and Gau was right at her heels, looking like he wanted to say something. The lights turned off as Sabin returned to flip the switch that Edgar had invented recently, and said "Goodnight."  
  
Locke still looked worried, observing Terra, but there was a bit of a grin on his face. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"   
  
"It was just a silly nightmare." Terra said shyly, still embaressed at disrupting everyone. Locke shook his head in annoyance. Terra never admitted when something was bothering her. "No, its not. You were screaming about Kefka." His grey-ish eyes searched her face. "It's been a while, Terra, and you're still getting nightmares. It might be a sign. By the way, you have no moles except for a tiny one right next to your eye. Edgar's just a dumb bloke with his hormones out of control."   
  
Terra didn't hear the joke. She seemed abashed. "I...well, i'm sorry again. I guess I'm just sort of weaker than the others about Kefka."   
  
"Terra.." Locke sighed. "Its annoying when you put yourself down. Stop it." Terra hung her head, looking at her feet. "I'm s-" She then noticed Locke's warning expression. "-erm, I mean, what do I care?"   
  
Locke laughed. "That's better."  
  
Terra sighed wistfully.   
  
"I wish I were like Celes. Strong, independant..she never would let anybody take control over her, unlike me."  
  
For some reason, Locke's face twisted and he seemed to be frowning.  
  
"Yeah, well thats Celes for you. Cold-hearted bitch that doesn't care what other people think or do."   
  
Terra was shocked. "Locke!!"   
  
The said person sighed. For some reason, our characters were doing that a lot. "Sorry. Got carried away. I told Edgar to keep his mouth shut but..Celes left this morning. Without me."  
  
"...why?"   
  
"We got into another huge, stupid fight. I'll have a record for 'world's shortest marriage.' I won't be surprised if a chocobo messanger came tomorrow, first thing in the morning, holding papers for divorce."   
  
"Oh, Locke.." Terra wanted to cheer out loud. She had a chance. But this was concerned Terra speaking right now, knowing she should be the supportive best friend. "I'm so sorry.." She hesitated to consider her next choice of words. "Do you know where Celes is?"  
  
"I'll bet you anything she's up at Narshe, barking orders to everyone and taking over as head of reconstruction." Terra stared at him. "Is this what you guys were fighting about?" She squeaked.   
  
"Well, partly. Or maybe it was just because we were getting sick of eachother." Locke shrugged. "Either way, I'm rid of the tyrant woman."  
  
"You don't mean that." Terra said shakily.   
  
"Yes, I do." Locke said firmly. "I should've realized it a long time ago...Celes and I aren't right for eachother. We're too different, and I mean it. It was just a crush..Celes had a crush on me, and I was infatuated with her just because she looks like Rachel a little around the mouth and nose."   
  
"You don't believe that. You're trying to convince yourself rather than me." Terra said, unable to keep the shaky anger out of her voice.  
  
Locke shook his head. "I'm speaking the truth."   
  
  
  
Then Terra slapped him.   
  
  
  
"Liar." She spat, tears spilling out of her eyes with no way to stop them. "You love her. Maybe what you said was true in the beginning, but you guys grew to love eachother. And you..you're just in denial. Your pride isn't letting you go after her, but you want to, because you know this is all wrong. Its not the way you two are supposed to end."   
  
Locke stared at Terra, surprised. "But.."   
  
"If you love her, which you do, you're going to go after her. You will. You are."   
  
Locke gaped at her for a little longer, then straightened up. "You're right. I don't want to believe it, but you're right." He rushed out of the room. And returned a second later.   
  
He grabbed Terra by the shoulders and, hugging her tightly, gave her a friend-kiss. Not a passionate kiss, but a kiss. Just wanted to make that clear. "Thanks, Terra. You're the best." Then he ran out again.   
  
Leaving Terra to stand there in the dark, breathing heavily, trembling all over as she realized what she had just done.   
  
She had brought those two lovers together again, reunited them. Locke was more determined than ever, thanks to Terra's speech. He would find Celes, who'd try to ignore him, but Locke was the most persistant man Terra had ever met. And Celes would give in, because, unlike Locke, she loved him and didn't need to be convinced. The only reason she'd resist would be because of her stubborn pride, that had been hurt when she left.   
  
And all against Terra's own will.   
  
"Damn, I should be a motivational speaker." Terra said in a hushed voice, quietly to no one in particular in the dark room.  
  
This would make him happy, rather than mope around for weeks about Celes. Perhaps he would've fallen inlove with Terra. But never as much as he'd love Celes. And Terra couldn't stand being second to Celes - it would hurt her - hell, she'd be third actually, because Locke loved Rachel beyond anyone.   
  
All she wanted was for him to be happy. Of course, she'll be hurt and miserable for the rest of her life, letting - actually, PUSHING - her one true love towards another woman, doomed to die lonely with nobody but those bratty kids to occupy her.   
  
  
  
But hey, at least someone's happy, right? 


	5. A Pleasant Surprise

A/N: LoL. You guys crack me up in your reviews. And I'm very grateful for them, so here are some personalized replies to my loyal fans - er, up to the sum of 2 people...oy.   
  
Ayako: I really like your facial expressions. ^^ See? Mine are pitiful. All of them. *shakes head* Pitiful...anyways, thanks for reviewing every chapter so far!! You have my endless gratitude.  
  
Andromeda Highwind: Edgar/Terra/Locke, eh? Not a bad idea (I wouldn't mind too much seeing my favorite female character being fought over by 2 hunky men, myself :D) but honestly, I think Edgar's a prick. No, seriously! First of all, he has long blonde hair all pretty and smooth and tied in a purty bow. Um, EW!?! Number 2, he's a wannabe ladies' man. And a really pathetic one, compared to my man Reno (FFVII). Number 3: I think Locke looks better, anyways. Number 4: Come to think of it, so does Setzer. Number 5: Heck, even Sabin looks better than him, and they're twins!! Hey, speaking of Reno, have you ever noticed that all wannabe ladies' men in the RPG/Squaresoft world have long hair tied in a ponytail? Lessee - Edgar, Reno, Hawk (Seiken Densetsu 3), IRVINE (a very obvious one, FFVIII), ummm.. I haven't played FFIX.   
  
Wow, this turned into a rant. Sorry. Thanks for reviewing every single tedious chapter!!!  
  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Moles. Honestly!" Sabin broke into another round of laughing his head off. Edgar was still cross. "Its true!!"   
  
Sabin snorted loudly. "I just have one thing to tell you, Brother - keep it in your pants, for Goddess' sake." He winked, and rose to return to his room, leaving Edgar alone to sputter indignantly.  
  
  
  
"Oh, Gau. Why are you hounding me about this?" Relm said, exasperated with the teenage boy glaring at her.  
  
"Edgar too old for Relm!" He scolded her.   
  
"Oh, please!" Relm threw her hands up. "Edgar's not old! Besides," she said sniffily. "Its obvious he's infatuated with me."   
  
Gau rolled his eyes. "Edgar like every girl! He like you! He like Terra! He like complete stranger on street! And," he said darkly, "if he do like you, against law."   
  
"Good lord, what do you know about laws? You're jungle wild monkey boy. Like Tarzan." Relm said. Except Tarzan wasn't as cute as Gau. Right now, his spikey blonde hair, tinged with a mossy green, was in his face, and he pushed back some of it. His gangly, lanky form was filling out from all the training Sabin was giving him. And the food. He didn't like dressing in a tux for Locke and Celes' wedding, but he definitely preferred wedding cakes to dried meat. Instead of sticks and bones, he had structured, chiseled muscles that were noticeable. Relm prayed he wouldn't turn chunky-buff like Sabin. His green eyes actually had flecks of goldish yellow in them, like a hawk's. His former yellowish skin was turning tan now, from proper nutrition and all that work in the sun.  
  
~But~, Relm chided to herself, ~He's still got nothing on Edgar.~  
  
"Relm stupid." Gau said. Bad move. Relm's bleached blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you say?"  
  
"Gau says Relm stupid!" Gau shouted. "Relm blind as bat."   
  
"What??" Relm seethed. "How am I blind?"   
  
"To this!" With that, Gau jumped off the desk he was crouched on, startling Relm, and kissed her. Relm wondered, as she got over the shock and kissed back, how Gau had learned to kiss so - like he was experienced!  
  
To be honest, his secret was from watching Edgar 'attack' one of the maids in the Inn. It had fascinated Gau, watching Edgar and the blonde maid to - well, ho hum, they were doing something with their mouths. Gau had been hoping to try it out on Relm. Relm was, to say, pleasantly surprised.  
  
Elsewhere, another pair of lovers were united, and dawn had arrived, with the sun coming up from behind the mountain. Behind Narshe.   
  
  
  
"Celes!"   
  
Celes froze at the sound of her name. The voice was very familiar. Way too familiar. She walked towards the railings and looked down below the wooden bridge, where her former lover was waving.   
  
"Oh, goddess, no." Celes muttered under her breath. She ignored him and returned to observing the blueprints map for rebuilding Vector.  
  
"Celes! Come on, talk to me." She heard, but did not see, Locke, running towards some steps to climb up towards the bridge. ~Just ignore him, Celes, and he'll go away.~ Celes told herself. She began walking rather briskly. "Celes! Wait up!" Locke was panting as he tried to catch up to Celes. "Look, I-i'm sorry, Celes. I was stupid that night - in fact, I've always been stupid! I was just even more stupid!!!" He yelled at her as she walked down the stairs from the bridge. Locke suddenly tripped on one of the steps, covered in ice, and fell down all the way until his butt hit the ground, luckily covered with snow.   
  
Typical clumsy Locke moment.  
  
"Ow..Celes! Wait!" Locke scrambled to get up with his hand rubbing his buttox, as Celes quickly went up to a large house Locke recognized as Arvis'. He ran up after her. "Celes! I - " The door slammed in his face. "- love you."  
  
  
  
"Is he gone yet?" Celes asked anxiously. She was sitting on the couch collecting warmth from the fireplace, her wool blanket, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Not yet. He's pacing in front of the house like a stalker."   
  
"Thats not funny." Celes scowled. "Its really cold out there.."  
  
Setzer walked towards the couch and swooped down on her, kissing her cheek. "I know, love. I'm sorry. D'you think we should let him in?"  
  
"I know I don't want to." Celes said gloomily. "But..I have to."   
  
Setzer observed his lover in the firelight. She was currently under much stress, her forehead wrinkled up in an adorable way while she was biting her lip. He brushed back some pale white-blonde strands of hair back from her face. Her blue shards of ice for eyes quickly moved to him. "Setzer, he's going to be crushed."   
  
"Maybe you should've thought of that before falling to my arms. Literally." Setzer chuckled, and kissed the top of her head, which was filled with a pleasant, flowery aroma he couldn't identify.  
  
That was how they'd come together. A distressed Celes had arrived in Narshe at the dead of night, looking for Arvis and for some way to make herself useful. Coincidentally, Setzer was leaving the new gambling house at that moment to have a cigar. (He had forced them to make a gambling house, if he was going to have to stay in Narshe and freeze his arse off for 6 months, as Setzer so eloquently put it.) Celes was in tears, and very distracted as she rushed past the sign that said 'Still Under Construction'. She walked onto the bridge, her boots clacking, towards Arvis' house, when her boot suddenly made a hole in the wooden bridge, and the next second, her entire body broke through and she screamed as she fell down.   
  
Into Setzer's arms. His arms buckled at the force of the weight that hit him, and they both fell to the snowy ground. "Maria? You've finally realized that you love me!" He said delightedly.   
  
At that moment, Celes was seeing Setzer in a whole new light. Never had she been this close to him before. He smelled of engines and gasoline - just like an airship. His dark, navy blue eyes - purple in the right light - had widened when he realized it was Celes. "Celes? Why are you crying? Wait - where's Locke?" That had made Celes break out into a fresh round of tears, and he carried her to the Inn where he was staying in a room, and they got much closer than they'd ever gotten before.  
  
  
  
Much.   
  
So now, as Celes stared into Setzer's handsome face, hardly diminished by the two X scars on both cheeks (rather, she thought they were kind of 'sexy', if you can picture General Celes saying that word) she was feeling horrible guilt coming through, being there inlove with a friend while her husband was outside trying to apologize and take her back.  
  
"I didn't think he would follow me here." Celes sighed, and stood up.  
  
"Oh, I wish Arvis were here instead of travelling all the way to Vector for rebuilding issues, he's good friends with Locke and would numb the pain, if just a little. But I guess I have to face him now."  
  
"That's my girl." Setzer smiled encouragingly, as she walked towards the door. She stopped, and hesitated. "Do I have to?" She whined in a pleading voice. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Setzer took two long strides to the door and flung it open. Locke immediately turned around and ran up the door joyfully. "Thank goodness! Its freezing out here - Setzer?" He peered behind Setzer's tall, thin frame, to see Celes standing awkwardly, feeling too guilty to meet Locke's eyes.   
  
It took only two seconds for Locke to realize what was going on. It took 2 seconds for him to walk off. It took 20 seconds for Celes to run out after to him, to attempt to stop him. And it took 36 seconds for Locke to grab a chocobo, hand the stall manager 100 Gil, and take off.   
  
  
  
Now, if you add all those seconds up, what do you get?   
  
Thats right!! Gone In 60 Seconds!! I love that movie!  
  
A/N: I hope you liked that little Gau/Relm fluffy moment. I suck at writing them, but I've been meaning to do that coupling. I've been neglecting Cyan, haven't I? Yeah, well, thats because he's boring.   
  
I'm sorry. I'm not mean, I'm just blunt. ^___^  
  
Oh, and that Tarzan comment. Let's just pretend that book exists in the FFVI world, alright? ^.^;; 


	6. A Comfort in You

~*~Silent Tears~*~  
  
Chapter 6  
  
A/N: Well, there'll be definite Relm/Gau-ness. Doesn't that phrase just warm your tiny Grinch heart? I'm having way too much fun writing the Celes/Setzer parts. Most people often think they are one of the most unlikely couples, but by the way I'm writing it, I believe its very compatible and VERY possible. Alas, I cannot guarantee a happy, heart-warming Locke/Terra ending..I enjoy Terra angst way too much. I could maybe make the ending based on reviewer's votes - which would make it *eye twitch* 3 people. We shall see...  
  
Ayako - That's right. I'm friggin' royalty. So BOW! ON YER KNEES, LOWLY SLAVE!! And while you're doing that, would you mind giving me a Burger King birthday crown? Thanks.  
  
Relm - Gau's Girl - Wow, you're scary. (don't take offense, cuz its a COMPLIMENT! Well, to me it is. @_@) But that's hunky-dory. I can be just as, if not more, insane.  
  
*takes Sephy's masamune* OoooOOOoOhHhhHhh..POINTY!! BUAHAHAH!  
  
~Terra was wrong. So wrong. I was stupid. Again.~   
  
  
  
The chocobo was beginning to get tired from running at top-speed. They had passed the forest and were now approaching the desert. The animal desperately needed a break. It was a bit more plump than other chocobos. Perhaps that was why.   
  
Yes, Locke had to admit, he'd been expecting a fairy tale ending.  
  
He would confront Celes, who'd (as he succesfully predicted, even more than expected) try to resist him, because he knew she was a stubborn woman with a fierce amount of pride.  
  
Okay, he hadn't been expecting a chase. But he would tell her how wrong he was and how much he loved her. Celes would turn around and give in to their love, and they'd kiss, that would reunite them and bond stronger then ever.   
  
He certainly hadn't been expecting Setzer.   
  
The chocobo stopped altogether now. It was panting and hoping for water, but they were in the desert now and there wasn't water or plants anywhere in sight. Locke was annoyed at it. "C'mon," he muttered, and kicked it, digging in his heels. The chocobo warked loudly, and thrashed about, making Locke fall to the ground in similar fashion to when a cowboy is unseated from a raging bull.   
  
"Hey! I paid 100 Gil for a ride from you!" Locke shouted, but the creature turned its beady black eyes at Locke, staring defiantly at his rider. His words fell on deaf ears, if a chocobo indeed had ears. Then it turned and trotted off at a moderate pace to its own liking. "Fine! I don't need you!" Locke shouted after it, and immediatedly felt silly for screaming at something that can't reply. However, he did have to spit out dirt from where it was piling up on him, because the chocobo was kicking out dust from behind its legs.  
  
Covered in dirt, out in the blazing hot sun with a heart neatly broken in half, Locke had never felt so...well, alone.   
  
Then he swore an amazing variety of curses at the sky, each one   
  
different and uniquely colorful, it would've made even Sabin blush.  
  
(A/N: So just imagine Cyan!! ^____^)  
  
****  
  
  
  
Terra woke up in the early morning in Figaro Castle after a restless dream. She laid there, silent and still, listening for any movements underneat her. Hearing none, she threw off her covers with one sweeping motion, swung her legs and got out of bed. She desperately needed peace of mind, and a walk usually cleared out most of her cluttered thoughts. It was chilly, and all Terra wore was her nightie, a lacy, satin (and extremely luxerious and comfortable) white dress that went to her mid-thighs. Edgar had provided it, and she had shrewdly asked where he had gotten hold of such a thing for Terra (and Relm and Celes, so it seemed) but Edgar would go mysteriously deaf until she gave up asking. It was something a woman on her honeymoon would wear, and as Terra put on her long dark grey coat over the thin dress, she knew that was most certainly not the case for her.   
  
It was even colder outside. ~When is Edgar going to start putting that heating system he mentioned into action?~ She thought furiously, as the cold wind bit at her. She walked all around the outside of the castle, then went downstairs, uncomfortable at the eerie darkness of the long stone halls and lit torches. Terra made up her mind and walked outside the castle entrance. She imagined it was about 4 or 5 in the morning, because outside even the hot desert was still in nighttime mode. The sand, which usually was aroused and lively, kicking up sandstorms everywhere, was deathly still on the ground. Indeed, it seemed, everything was dead. Terra shivered and shook violently under her coat. The cold got to her worse than anyone - she always supposed it was because her magic strength was fire-based. Afterall, Celes always seemed to be most at home in the freezing cold, snow and sleet. Although Terra had a somewhat child-like fascination with snowflakes, it was not snowing at the moment, only terribly cold in the beginnings of a storm, and she despised it more than ever now.   
  
Terra thought she heard the beginning of movement inside the castle, so she turned around to go back in, until something stopped her.  
  
The movement wasn't IN the castle. It was outside - and very close.  
  
Terra froze, trembling in cold and fear. She weighed the odds - she was unarmed, and her fingers were so numb they were hardly in any condition to hold a sword let alone fight. The best she could do was kick with all her might and run. She swung around, wishing she had learned martial arts along with Gau and Sabin in their lessons, but there was no time for that. Where was it? She searched the darkness, until -   
  
"Locke!" The footsteps were slow. As the figure trudged along, sure enough, Terra saw the bandanna holding back wild dirty blonde hair, the sleeveless vest, that tacky green belt...  
  
"You must be freezing." Terra whispered as she ran to him just as he was about to fall. She caught him, nearly falling down with him in his weight, but gathered her strength and staggered towards the tower where Locke had taken Terra after meeting King Edgar. Distant memories of herself, back then a frightened, lonely child with powers she couldn't understand, being comforted with soothing words by Locke.   
  
Terra hadn't understood his words, but she was comforted anyways, being told she wasn't really all that bad by someone who hated her.  
  
It was the truth, wasn't it? Though Locke had sworn to be her protector, her knight in shining armor, she felt a strange bitterness, or resentment, come from him. Like as he smiled at her, it seemed when he turned away the smile turned sour and dark. She pieced it together soon enough. Locke had told her little about that 'friend' that had been captured by the empire. That wasy why he had joined Returners.   
  
Out of hatred for the Empire, who killed innocent lives senselessly.  
  
Out of hatred for her.  
  
"Are you alright?" Terra asked Locke, who sat on the bed, refusing to lay down like Terra urged him to. He refused the blankets she handed to him as well, and Terra was frowning even as she spoke.   
  
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I feel great - stop scowling at me like that, really. I'm not cold. I - i can't feel anything anymore.."   
  
"Locke," Terra said gently, and when it appeared that he hadn't heard her she repeated herself. "Locke, why are you here?"  
  
Locke looked up at her, looking at a loss and childlike with big, blank eyes. It was a horrible blankness in his expression, like a stupified person with no emotion, which didn't suit him at all. There was always some emotion going on his eyes, and it was always intense as well, whether it be excitement, pure happiness, or furious anger. "Celes." He said slowly, thickly, as if he were learning to speak.  
  
"Yes, Celes." Terra said, getting slightly impatient. "What happened?"   
  
~Remember, Terra~ She thought to herself, ~Its your duty to be happy for him. Be the best friend that you can be~   
  
Instead of answering he gave a huge shiver, which seemed to go all throughout his body. Terra sat down next to him and kind of hugged him while moving her hands up and down his arms, trying to transport her body heat to his.   
  
"She doesn't love me anymore." Locke said with a low and quiet voice, no longer slow and clumsy.  
  
"I should've known. But I didn't." He was silent for a few moments, before finishing. "She doesn't love me."   
  
Terra didn't know what to say. She was torn between two emotions -   
  
hope, hope that was still a chance for her, and sadness, feeling the pain as Locke was feeling in total heartbreak. She knew how it felt to be rejected only too well.  
  
"I'm sorry Locke." Terra said quietly. "I shouldn't have told you to throw yourself out there like that."  
  
"Its a little too late for apologies, isn't it?" Locke replied savagely, but Terra stiffened at the cold words, and he immediately regretted them. "Sorry, Terra. I didn't mean that."   
  
"It doesn't matter if you meant it or not, Locke. Its true." Terra smiled a very weak, brittle smile, and stood up to leave. "I won't tell Edgar or anyone you're here until you want people to know." Terra walked towards the door, but Locke surprised her with a sudden grip on her arm holding her back. Terra looked at the hand holding her arm in a strong grip. Strange that his strength could come back to him so quickly.   
  
"No." He said. "Please..stay, Terra."  
  
Terra still hesitated. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around Locke and comfort him, but she knew she couldn't do that to him..or Celes..  
  
"Please, Terra." Locke's blue eyes were pleading. "I need you."  
  
Those three words were all that Terra needed to hear. She helped Locke up and stagger to the couch against the wall. Terra sat down, and then Locke slowly sat as well, kind of leaning against her. Once again, Terra put her arms around him, her flesh going pickly and goosey at the coldness of his body. Locke shivered again, and Terra removed her coat and laid it carefully on top. It seemed to be enough, as he stopped shaking and began to fall asleep, his head lying on her shoulder. Now Terra was the one cold. She fiercely muttered at the air with some words she had learned from Sabin, loathing the cold even more passionately than before. Terra's garnet eyes lowered, observing the sleeping man in her arms. With one arm still around Locke, she used her other arm to gently stroke Locke's tousled hair. It was surprisingly very soft, and a little bit fluffy. Terra smiled and kissed the top of his head. Locke suddenly groaned and shifted slightly. Terra froze, hoping she hadn't disturbed his sleep.  
  
She hadn't. He was having a dream...or was it a nightmare?  
  
"Uggh..Rachel.."   
  
Terra held her breath. She wasn't sure whether to wake him or not. ~Nightmares usually pass on quickly, don't they?~ Terra wondered, and from some very sadistic voice in a deep corner of her mind, she thought, ~My nightmare didn't pass quickly. It went on for 18 years.   
  
18 long years.~ Quickly shoving that thought aside, she focused all of her attention on Locke's fidgeting - yet still sleeping - form. But she had been right, and after a minute or so Locke stopped moving and seemed peaceful again.  
  
No, he wasn't. For a while Terra believed it had really stopped, and had begun nodding off herself until Locke suddenly grimaced in something that looked like pain. His eyes squeezed together, and Terra felt the movement from under her hand on his head. "No...Celes.."  
  
Terra closed her eyes, wishing she could somehow plug her ears like a child without waking up Locke in the motion of her hands. She knew that   
  
this nightmare wasn't meant for anyone's ears. And she didn't WANT to know what Locke was dreaming about.  
  
"Setzer...leave..alone.."   
  
~What?~   
  
Terra opened her eyes in surprise. What did Setzer have anything to do with this? Locke and Setzer were never really good friends, perhaps because of the manner they met. Terra imagined that if they had met under different circumstances, they would've been very good friends. Afterall, both led adventurous, free-living lifestyles that allowed lots of traveling...both were constantly hunting for excitement, and taking chances. (even moreso for Setzer & his obsessive gambling.) Both had the same taste in women.  
  
~Maybe I should've fallen in love with Setzer.~ Terra thought dryly, but quickly reprimanded herself for even thinking of such a thing. ~I'll always love Locke.~ She thought sleepily. ~To the end of time..longing for him..and never doing anything to get him..~  
  
  
  
As Terra fell asleep, her dreams floated to images of her treasure hunter extraordinaire, smiling at her with his warm cole-colored eyes, along with fleeting instances of General Leo's face, slightly blurred because she couldn't remember what he looked like..  
  
..and then, she dreamt of herself at a ball again. She was dancing with Relm. "Do something" Relm said, and with an elegant twirl Relm was replaced by Edgar. Next to her, Locke was dancing with Celes. The partners were switched and Celes was now dancing with Setzer, while for some reason Locke and Terra ended up partnerless. Terra tried to run towards Locke, spurred by Relm's encouraging voice, but suddenly she was dancing, in the arms of Kefka, and couldn't move or struggle, only dance to the steps. Except the strange thing was, he was not wearing any clown paint, and he looked to be quite a deal younger.  
  
"You're mine, Terra," He whispered in her ear. "All mine."  
  
Then he twirled her and the sounds of the orchestra playing was drowned out by a horrible cackling.   
  
  
  
Funny thing was, that ball was the only part of her dream she didn't remember when she woke up in the morning, finding Locke's head resting on her lap.  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: creepy...ne? You know, I've always kind of imagined that Kefka, in his younger, less insane days, was a handsome youth type of guy. Possibly even with ideals and morals!! *GASP from everyone* Then he went wacko cuz one day he saw the Emperor naked in the shower, singing a Ricky Martin song, complete with hip movements. That image permanently pressed into his mind, it drove him insane and spurred him to kill people... 


	7. This Can't Be a Good Omen

Silent Tears  
  
A/N: Konnichiwa, minna! -_-;; Er..sorry. Been watching my old subtitled Sailormoon movies back from 4th grade.  
  
That's what boredom drives you to. Um, anyways.. to those of you living in US of A, Happy 4th of July!  
  
I'm leaving for the East Coast (back to my roots! WOOT!) in 2 days. Gah. Family vacations.. I mean, they wouldn't let me take my best bud along! Ah well. Back to the point. So, there won't be another chapter up for Silent Tears for about 2 weeks. (While otherwise I've been regularly updating once a week) This is due to the trip AND also towards the fact that I'm not throwing out these chapters one after the other anymore.. :( It's getting harder to write the plotline.   
  
I know where I'm taking this, I just don't know *how* to get there.  
  
Thanks for all the support!! LOCKE + TERRA 4EVER!! WOOOOT!!  
  
Disclaimers: I just realized I haven't been putting these in. *stares around wildly* You can't sue me now!! It's here! Look! I don't own anything! AAAAAH! Run awaaaaaaaay!  
  
And now, finally, the reviewer response section..  
  
furysetzer - Dawson's Creek?? Well, not quite. I mean, you don't see everyone shagging eachother this way and that, do you? Wait, this gives me a good idea..perhaps Edgar could play as 'Jack'..O_O WEE! What fun! Terra and locke would be joey and dawson, of course..no, wait!! they don't end up together at the end! cuz joey goes to pacey...hmm..this might be a little tricky.   
  
Lady Deathstryke - @_@ So many new reviewers! (Well..actually, not really, but its alot to me. XD) Killing off Terra isn't so bad. I mean, as long as she got to kiss Locke before she died...right?? RIGHT?!! Its the opposite in this story. I make Kefka go from normal to insane. YAY!   
  
Andromeda Highwind - *pats back* There, there. Here's a tissue. ..But Terra can NEVER suffer enough! BUAHAHAHAH - *hack* *cough* *wheeze*  
  
Kt (donaldduckfan4@aol.com) - Isn't Zidane that dude with the monkey tail? o_O HE'S the ladies' man?? A half-monkey gets all the honeys? XD Lol, sorry, couldn't resist that lil' ditty of a rhyme. Wait, that didn't EXACTLY rhyme..  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
"Ter, wake up."  
  
Ruby eyes slowly fluttered open. Locke's breath got caught in his throat for a moment - he had never noticed how - well, beautiful wasn't the exact word for it. They were better described as -  
  
~strange.~ Locke thought. ~But in a good way.~   
  
The strangely red-eyed half esper stretched out on the couch and stared sleepily at him.  
  
"How come you look so darn energetic?" She said, slurring her words like a drunk.   
  
"You're the one who was walking all last night." Locke laughed and flexed his muscles in a cheesy way.  
  
"Me? My muscles don't know what 'tired' means! Fire runs in my blood - "  
  
"Stop talking so louuuuud!" Terra whined and tried to move her head back down on the couch, desperate for some more sleep. But she had moved too fast, and the head bashed against hard wood, only covered by a surface of thick fabric.   
  
Terra emitted a painful shriek and clutched at her head, while Locke laughed at her.  
  
"Stop it!" Terra moaned. Locke's laughter only made her pounding head feel worse.  
  
"I could be bleeding for all you know."  
  
"Let me see." Locke moved closer and shifted through Terra's messy bed-head green hair. Terra would've considered the irony of this from just last night, when she had been playing with Locke's hair while nodding off to sleep, but her rapidly swelling head was distracting her at the moment.   
  
Locke was having an even harder time than Terra, being so close to her. He remembered when just two nights ago, Terra had near suffocated him with her seemingly frail arms around him, cutting off his air circulation. The familiar aroma in her hair entered his nose. He swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped back.  
  
"Nope, no bumps or bleeding," Locke said cheerfully. "Just some lice running through your scalp, no biggie - "  
  
"LOCKE!" The said person ducked as Terra swiftly swung a cushion at him, regaining for just a moment her Esper agility.   
  
That being said, Terra was not the only person who walked out of the tower/guestroom with a pounding headache. It appeared that the cushions were of wood too, only covered by fabric. Edgar and the technology-advanced people of Figaro paid much attention to machinery and not all too much to furniture, so as it happened, they would not invent soft, feather-filled cushions or couches for another 11 years.  
  
Edgar watched, with a strange but unreadable expression, as Locke and Terra entered the dining room bickering jokingly and laughing. They currently looked nothing like two crucial members of the group of heroes that saved the world, but more like two ordinary teenagers or just barely young adults, exchanging flirtatious banter.   
  
~Flirtatious?~ Edgar tried to shake off that weird feeling he was experiencing in his gut.   
  
~I'm reading into this too much.~ He thought. ~I've been over her for a long, long time.~ He tried to smile at the duo.   
  
"You're back so soon, Locke." Edgar said stiffly. What was wrong with his voice?? He was having difficulty talking.  
  
"So where's Celes?"   
  
This produced a strange reaction, in Edgar's eyes. Locke flinched, as if Edgar had released a starving Gau on his leg, and for a very long moment there was something in Locke's eyes that were different - no, that's not right. The thing was, there was NOTHING in his eyes. But Terra squeezed his hand (and Edgar finally noticed, with a twinge of that feeling again, that their fingers were entwined together) and with a feeling of great difficulty, Locke pulled himself back to reality and his eyes returned to its youthful, mischevious spark.  
  
"Good." Locke said cheekily. "We exchanged a word or two, discussed our failing relationship, that sort of thing." Locke swallowed, but continued to grin as always. "Haven't exactly discussed divorce yet, but since we're technically not off our honeymoon yet, we'll postpone those issues and try to enjoy ourselves for the remainder of our vacation."  
  
Terra tried not to stare admiringly at Locke, and restrained from applauding him. She was very surprised at how well Locke was handling this, yet she knew she shouldn't be. Because this was how Locke dealt with things - he kept an optimistic outlook and oozed of sarcasm for all he was worth. And she could tell he was trying VERY HARD not to break out into tears and not drown the desert into an ocean. Suddenly, Terra felt very stupid and ashamed of herself and her almost nightly habit of wallowing in self-pity and tears. Locke was so much stronger than her. It almost mad her proud, like a mother when her son turned into a 'man', whatever that could be.  
  
She sighed, and whispered a half-hearted "I love you" without even realizing it until a second later. With wide eyes and sudden tense shoulders, she snuck a glimpse at Locke, who didn't seem to have heard her fatal confession, or if he did, he ignored it entirely. Terra silently relaxed in relief and thanked the Goddesses. Apparently it was getting harder and harder to contain her long-kept secret every moment she was with Locke.  
  
"Well, don't just stand there, have breakfast." Edgar motioned with his hands, and Locke sat down, while Terra walked towards the kitchen for yet another daily coffee to start her day.  
  
"Was Terra with you? The head maid checked her room and said she wasn't there." Edgar said casually.  
  
Locke nodded. "She found me."   
  
"Ah." Edgar nodded, and made a note to himself to talk to Terra for more details on what happened.   
  
"Its so quiet now." said Terra's voice, and the two men looked up to see Terra looking out by the window, holding her mug.   
  
They did not reply, but were wondering how Terra could've entered so quietly, that it went by unnoticed by Locke's trained 'treasure hunter' senses. Terra didn't notice their unusual silence and continued speaking.   
  
"I mean, I was sure that Sabin and Gau would stay longer, Edgar. I kind of miss them - they're the rowdiest group in the bunch. Are they back at the Veldt?"  
  
Edgar cleared his throat. "No, actually. They're at Thamasa."  
  
Locke looked surprised. "Why?"  
  
The king of Figaro looked slightly abashed, and coughed embaressedly.  
  
"They wish to keep it a secret from us right now."   
  
"A secret?" Terra and Locke exchanged a look. "Edgar, you're not saying that..Sabin...and Gau.."  
  
"Oh, goddess NO!!" Edgar hastily replied. "Its certainly not that!..but, well, they'll tell you when they're ready."   
  
"It sure sounds like a heavy-duty secret if you ask me." Locke said, still silently communicating with Terra through their eyes. "But okay then."  
  
"Yes, it sounds serious." Terra moved forward and grabbed Edgar's hand. "No one's sick or in trouble, are they?"   
  
Edgar had to pause before answering, but only because he was once again surprised by Terra's catlike speed. She moved so gracefully and silently - and fast. Edgar tried to remember if she had always moved like this.   
  
"Er - no." Terra obviously didn't trust that hesitation, and narrowed her glimmering garnet eyes.   
  
"No, really! I assure you, they're both fine. Everyone. Relm, too." Edgar added, as a sort of hint to them. It seemed to get through to Locke, who seemed to hide a grin and leaned back in his chair, but all Terra was doing seemed to be thinking thoughtfully. He could not tell what she knew - or didn't know.  
  
The rest of the morning slipped by quietly, as the three friends talked and laughed together in a very relaxed, lazy manner without the hustle and stress of a wedding. Edgar had scheduled to spend the whole day with Terra (and now Locke as well) and put aside any conferences and meetings for this. Those plans were quickly ruined when in the middle of a talkative, chatty lunch, the Chancellor burst in the room, looking flushed and ashamed.   
  
"I - i'm sorry, King Edgar, but they won't leave - they refuse to budge! Please forgive me, Miss Terra and Mr. Locke, but this  
  
is urgent. I am forced to directly ask you, your majesty, to come and remove the - er, problem - from the premises."   
  
Edgar did not say anything but merely nodded and stood up.   
  
"Please finish your meal. I'll be back shortly." Edgar said to Terra and Locke in a clipped, short voice. Also dubbed as his 'all-about-business kingly tone.'  
  
"Whats going on?" Terra asked, as the Chancellor wringed his hands and was just about to follow Edgar out of the room. Distracted, the Chancellor looked around a bit before settling his nervous eyes on Terra.  
  
"Oh, er - Miss Terra, it really isn't a matter that should bother you, but - erm - "   
  
Under Terra's steady red eyes, the Chancellor gulped.   
  
"The cult; The Kefkanians. We thought we'd already sent a troop of soldiers to their most recent hideout and burned it down, but it seems they had escaped, and grown even bigger. There's a mob outside the castle, with torches and other unpleasant weapons, and they don't look like a civilized bunch."  
  
"Let's go see. Maybe we can help Edgar." Terra rose to her feet, but the Chancellor shook his head.  
  
"But, Miss Terra, these things can get quite out of hand, it'd be dangerous for a lady of your petite stature - uh..okay."  
  
The Chancellor faltered. Because Terra was too polite to glare, she only gave the elderly man a stern look and crisply walked away, just like a trained Imperial soldier suited up in armor for war.   
  
Locke chuckled, and followed Terra out of the room to leave the Chancellor alone. He clapped him on the back before leaving. "Don't take it personally, Frederick. Just don't get in her way."  
  
  
  
But this time it was Locke's turn to stare admiringly at Terra, walking behind her a couple paces slower than Terra's march. The way she had dealt with the Chancellor was certainly out of character, but the urge - no, the need - to help people was all Terra. Although Locke could not see her face at the moment, it was a face with narrowed eyes, a turned up nose, and a thin mouth that, if you peered closely, was slightly quivering in anxiety. Indeed, looking at her from behind, he could almost pull out her ponytail and imagine white-blonde hair tumbling down from the head of a tall, serious, formidable ex-general.   
  
Then Locke shook his head. Terra was drastically different than Celes. How could he compare them? Celes had broken his heart, left him in the dust for Setzer, of all people. And the worst part was, and Locke curled his hands into tight fists as he thought this, he still loved her. He couldn't fathom why, but he did. ~Well, all I have to do is ignore this feeling.~ He thought.  
  
~This stupid, annoying, feeling in my chest that just won't bugger off no matter how hard I try.~  
  
If Locke was the romantic type, he would've known that that 'stupid, annoying feeling in his chest that just won't bugger off' was his heart. Of course, that sounds too cheesy for him to think, and waaaaay too cheesy for me to type unless I want to gag, so we'll just ignore the last sentence.   
  
But Terra.. she had always been there for him. He could count her. Because she was always just...there.  
  
  
  
He liked knowing that he could count on her to always be there for him. But Locke should know better than thinking   
  
that something or someone will always be around waiting for him. He had tried that before with Rachel. It didn't work then, and it wouldn't work now.  
  
As they passed a window, Locke looked out and saw just as the Chancellor had said - a very large, unhappy-looking crowd armed and ready. Locke could distantly hear Edgar's clear, commanding voice from somewhere in the front of the castle, but it appeared his speech was not giving effect. Locke saw from somewhere in that crowd a person was pulling back a quiver on a bow - and it looked as if it would hit Terra, a couple windows in front of him..hmm, that's never a good sign..  
  
"DUCK!" Locke zoomed forward and pushed Terra roughly out of the way.   
  
They both fell down onto the cold stone ground, although Locke was on top of Terra. He felt strange, just as he did that morning, his cheek against the softness of her hair. Terra seeemed to be breathing heavily, and saying something, but Locke could not make it out. He turned his ear towards her. Then, Terra turned her head as well, and Locke's neck felt tingly with her breath on it. She was wheezing something, and Locke still couldn't hear. "What?"  
  
"Locke...can't...breathe.."   
  
"OH!" Locke jumped up, his face very red, and lent Terra a hand to stand up. She was inhaling deeply, and looked alarmed. Locke searched for what she was staring at, and saw the tapestry on the wall behind them, burning steadily from the flamed arrow. Terra gaped at it, red eyes narrowed angrily, and the fire grew weaker, looking as if it would die out. Locke patted at the cloth. "It doesn't look like it'll spread - OW!" The flame had grown close to his hand and licked it mockingly.  
  
  
  
The fire abruptly went out cold.. Locke could've sworn he didn't feel that breeze that had come out of nowhere a second ago.  
  
"We have to help Edgar!" said Terra, and she began running towards the stairs. Locke ran after her, and they climbed the stairs to reach to the very top of the castle. This place was normally a lookout for soldiers, sometimes a stargazing spot, and now being used to address a mob. Nobody noticed them appear up the stairs, as a group of soldiers were lined up in front of them, and in the very front, stood a very crossed Edgar.   
  
"Hold your fire!" Edgar thundered. "Or we will shoot!"   
  
"Sort of stupid, really, to attack." Locke whispered to Terra. "They have weaker weapons while we have machinary and cannons. We also have the altitude advantage - they're naked where we're standing. We can see and shoot at every one of them."  
  
"I think this might be more of a protest than an all-out battle." Terra whispered back. Locke rolled his eyes.   
  
"So what was up with that fire arrow? A complaint?"   
  
  
  
"You will pay for your sins!" shouted a man who appeared to be the leader. He held the biggest, brightest torch, and Terra felt eerie when seeing that the flame was of a bright blood-red color instead of varying colors of orange, red and yellow. Also, looking more closely, she saw that every person standing was painted in colors of white, yellow, green, and red. They wore ratty-looking robes. Some of them wore mere togas, sleeveless and one-shouldered, while others were all-out creepy in full length dark, dusty robes, with a hood covering so that you could not see a face at all.  
  
"And what sins were those?" Edgar said dryly, but the man ignored him.   
  
"He shall come back and reap upon your souls for defying him!  
  
"Then He will feast on your blood and gore, the remains of your rottin bodies!!"   
  
"Well, that's pleasant." Locke muttered. He recieved a poke in the elbow to his side.  
  
"Ow!" Locke scowled. "What'd you do that for?"  
  
Too loudly.   
  
The soldiers turned to stare at them, and the two ex-Returners felt very small, indeed.   
  
"Er...we'll just go now." Terra said in a small, tiny, insignificant voice, which was exactly how she felt.   
  
"Terra! Locke!" Edgar's tired, king-weary face looked at them. It seemed there were lines on that handsome face that the two had never noticed before. Perhaps they were wrong, but although Edgar was the more attractive one of the twins, Sabin looked the part of the younger brother. Now more than ever.  
  
There were twangs, and Edgar spun around to see that the Kefkanians had launched some more arrows. They surely could not do too much harm, as the Figaro Castle was mostly made up of stone and metals that were very fire-proof ever since that first Kefka incident, but they made Edgar angrier and kinglier than ever. He turned around again to speak to Commander Cecil.   
  
(A/N: ...what?? Stop looking at me like that! Its a coincidence, alright? A COMPLETE COINCIDENCE!!! ..I couldn't think of any other original character name. And that'd be stupid if I just named 'em Commander Johnson or something. I mean, really. Thats not a Final Fantasy name at all!! Then again, neither is Yuffie, but whatever..)   
  
"Send 10 archers to the east and west wings of the castle. Shoot on command. Do NOT hesitate to use the crossbows."   
  
Commander Cecil nodded and left with the very, very tall soldiers. Terra and Locke knew they were tall, because they had obviously been hidden completely from view behind the soldiers from the Kefkanians. However, now the cult below began murmering amongst themselves, and Edgar's steely voice cut through the muttering.   
  
"You have attacked despite my warnings. Run, now, and nobody will have to be arrested."  
  
"We will never run! Our God, Kefka, shall aid us in the triumph of defeating the scum of the Returners and all allies!"   
  
"God?" Terra said disbelievingly.  
  
"A god is a protector, a saint of sorts. Kefka is none of the above. He's nothing but a crazy man driven mad by power."   
  
She did not realize she had spoken above a whisper, and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock while Locke looked sort of impressed in an amused way. "Go Terra." Locke cheered quietly, speaking under his breath.  
  
"I - i didn't MEAN to say that so loud - " Terra hissed at Locke, but the louder murmers from the crowd signaled that they had indeed heard her words. Then, quite suddenly, it grew dead silent, because the leader pointed a trembling, bony finger straight at her. His eyes were wide and maddened.   
  
"It's her! She is the one!!"   
  
(A/N: NEO!! :D)  
  
There was a hush. Then the crowd made a strange buzzing sound, that grew louder and angrier.  
  
Locke quirked an eyebrow at Terra humorously, but there was still the teeniest bit of worry in his voice.   
  
"That can't be a good sign. I mean, I don't like your hair like that either, but geez, that was just plain rude. I wasn't going to say anything about it." Edgar was very pale, as he turned to Terra. Her skin prickled at the tension. Again, she thought how much older Edgar looked.  
  
"Locke, take Terra back inside. Now."   
  
The addressed person stared quizzically at Edgar's white, panicked face.  
  
"Edgar, what's.."  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Locke grabbed Terra's arm. "C'mon." He muttered to her, but Terra stood her ground, staring at Edgar fearfully.  
  
"Edgar.."  
  
But Edgar refused to meet her eye. He turned around, hoping for a distraction. The Goddesses must have been listening, for the sound of hundreds of arrows whizzing past reached their ears. The attack had begun. The Kefkanians began yelling and scatttered around. However, the chaos didn't seem to bother the leader the least. In fact, it pleased him. Just as Terra finally gave in and let Locke pull her down the stairs, the leader began laughing maniacally. It sent shivers down everyone's back, and chilled Terra to the bone. He sounded just like Kefka.  
  
  
  
-----------------------  
  
Celes stared out the window, watching the winter wonderland that was in Narshe year-round happen before her eyes. She sighed contentedly. There was nothing nicer than snowflakes dirfting down the pure snow in her opinion. She'd really rather be outside with them, but Setzer protested that she would freeze and get a cold. Her mouth twisted into a small grin. She had never known Setzer to have a protective, caring side. Sure, he was a charmer, and sweet to any lady who looked at him, but there was something in his voice and in his eye that made you feel secure. Like you knew he would protect you.   
  
~How could I even think that?~ Celes thought, blinking to stop the tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
~Locke promised..he promised to protect me forever. That he would never let anything hurt me..~  
  
There was a knock on the door. Celes hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and opened it. There stood Arvis, looking dashing in a crisp suit. He looked every part of a nervous politician, in Celes' opinion.   
  
"Good morning, Celes." Arvis said pleasantly.   
  
"Hello, Mayor." Celes said, and Arvis made a small smile. "Back from Vector so soon?" Arvis nodded.  
  
"Urgent last-minute meeting was made here for the comittee and the council. Something about tax issues - I was urged to come here quickly. Also, there's a new shipment of supplies ready to be delivered. It seems Maranda has just ran short, as a chocobo messanger has just came with a letter from them. Is Setzer ready to fly?"  
  
"When am I not?" Setzer demanded, appearing behind Celes.  
  
"I'm like a bird. And yet..another damned shitload of bricks on my beloved. When will it stop?"   
  
"When the new airship is finished and built." The mayor replied nonchalantly.  
  
His eyes twinkled, not at all offended by Setzer's language. Indeed, he was used to it.   
  
"Yeah, yeah.." Setzer grumbled, grabbing his coat and looking for his boots.   
  
"Wanna come along for the ride, Celly-welly?" Celes frowned at the ridiculous pet name, but decided to play along.  
  
"Sure thing. Just give me a minute to change, Sexy Wetsy."   
  
Setzer opened and closed his mouth furiously like a speechless goldfish. Arvis shook his head, looking a bit disturbed.   
  
"I don't want to know. I have to get to the meeting. Be down by the weaponry shop in 15."   
  
Arvis began to go down the steps, but paused, turning to look at Setzer.   
  
"You know, she never used to joke around like she does now. You're a good thing for her, Setzer."   
  
Setzer was struggling with his boots and didn't say anything.  
  
Arvis watched him pull on his left shoe and begin fighting with his right.   
  
"You two really look like you're inlove. So do me a favor, and go see Locke on the way back from Maranda. Give him closure, acceptance - anything. Locke is my friend and your's. He has enough undeserved pain in his life as it is already."  
  
Setzer continued to pursue his endless struggle with the boots. Arvis paused for a moment, then turned around and left. The gambler stopped with his boots and stared out the same window that Celes had been gazing out of.   
  
~He knows this is all wrong.~ Arvis shook his head, walking briskly, smiling and dipping his head slightly at some people he knew. ~He knows this, I know this, Locke knows this. Locke and Celes are supposed to be together. They were meant for eachother. Celes only loves one man. So why is Setzer playing along like this? Why does he pretend?~   
  
Arvis sighed, and pushed his hair back.   
  
~Its all up to Celes. She's acting just like Setzer - pretending this is right. Her pride was deeply cut by Locke. But for once in her life, she needs to forget that pride, and do the right thing that her heart is telling her to do.~ Arvis frowned.   
  
~I wish I had gone to the wedding. Then I would understand more what the whole fight was all about..Surely it had to be something big, to pull apart Locke and Celes like this..they've handled Kefka and more trouble in the world, you'd think they'd be able to deal with a simple lovers' quarrel.~  
  
A/N: Have a good 'un. :P 


	8. Fireworks

**Silent Tears**

****

A/N: I'm aliiiiiive!! And Silent Tears is back, and better than ever! (Man, do I sound like a TV ad or what?) Y'see, that computer that broke down? Well, we never fixed it. So yeah, that sucks, my file (of the original version of this chapter) is lost forever. So I rewrote it on the new computer. But I have to say, this one is better than the original, or the bits that I remember of it. But the greatest part? I learned how to save my file as a webpage. Meaning I can actually do the _italics and **bold print and underliney stuff and, heck, maybe ******__all three of them!  ^^ (I'm such a technologically challenged loser) Can you say 'red-neck hick'? :B Even though I'm half Korean. But anyways…I'm proud of this chapter's suffocating amount of fluff. Especially the Setzer/Celes parts. I think that, if you weren't a S x C fan before, you will be now._

~*~Reviewer Responses~*~

Aquarian Wind – New reviewer! Woooooot! Thanks for reviewing! *EDIT* Mou, I'm such an idjit. You're the former Andromeda Highwind! Forgive me for my stupidity. *hugs*

voicelord– As if it'd be anything else! (The day I write Edgar x Terra stuff, I'll have my sister hit my head with a banjo. Err… or something.) Another new reviewer! Man, do I get popular in an absence of 4+ months or what? Thanks for the review!

Ry – Yesh, Setzer x Celes is kyuuute. Much more than Locke x Celes – and now I'll probably get a flaming paper bag of dog crap in an e-mail now or something for saying that, but hey. That's what happens when you're a struggling Locke x Terra fanfic writer in this big, scary world of Locke x Celes shippers. And look, everybody! I've found another person who also randomly types 2085409380941! Isn't that just spiffy?

IRS – Mr. Slashy Death Nightmare Man comes to my house every night. We bake a lovely set of sugar cookies that are light and fluffy and perfect, while he tells me an entertaining story about his annoying next door neighbor or how his lawn mower went crazy on him. 

      That aside, thanks for the ideas and the reviews! Man, three new reviewers in a row!

 Relm – Gau's Girl – Hahahahaha. Chocobo's butt. Your reviews always make me laugh. (Ha! See?) No worries, because there's Gau/Relm-yness in this chappie. Not much, sadly, but I'll make sure to have a boatload in the next one. And you need not worship me, reviews are payment enough. :) Now, leave me alone! I must go do important things as your Goddess. *checks her teeth for spinach*

Aerifa – (I've really got to get a bell or something, to signal new reviewers) Thanks for the compliment! You guys all rock, seriously. This is just another example of your enthusiasm to hunt me down and hurt me for making you wait so long – err, I mean, your unwavering, loving support. ^^; 

HanR – Aacch, dude, the first chapter was the worst. It _still_ makes me flinch every time I pass it. Anywho, thankee kindly for the review! Reviews make the world go 'round…

Alysia-Chan – 3 months. I'm such a lazy bum monkey. Le sigh. And yes, Vincent is sexeh. *gives Alysia an inhaler* S'okay, I do that a lot too. Thanks for reviewing! As always.

Sir_Magnus - .; I must say, your review is my favorite so far. And it appears, yes, I can. I _can update a fic! Everybody, CLAP for meeeee!!!_

Just call me Angels – Heeey! It's you! *point* :O *hugs* Hey, you guys! Read this dude/chick's (X3) work, especially his/her Celes-centric fic 'A Look into the Past' and 'Four-Leaf Clover'! (A Locke/Terra ficcie, of course) They're DA BOMB DIGGITY! @_@

 Cheetah Smith – Everyone rejoice for fluffy goodness! Done rejoicing? Good, because this chappie is angst-alicious. Yes, I know that's not a real word. Mweep. 

CHAPTER 8

            It was awfully quiet.

  At least, that's how Terra felt. The only sounds to be heard at the dinner, with the grand table and 28 chairs, was the clicking of cutlery and silent, thoughtful chewing. Even Locke, who often provided the entertainment and liveliness at the dinner whenever it felt too quiet for him, seemed to think it'd be wiser to keep the heavy, dark atmosphere and just stared at his plate and ate. It was driving her insane – the quiet. There was the distant noise of the soldiers, having a jovial meal with laughter and rum aplenty, downstairs, making Terra yearn to join them. Terra thought, after such a night, that the Chancellor and Edgar would be pulled up at the far end of the table, heads bent down and whispering urgently. But no – Edgar was eating with an expressionless face, and the Chancellor, lines creased with worry, had joined them tonight, but kept his mouth tightly clamped. Terra sighed, and stared down at her plate. There was a fine gold trim on all of them, with a golden, fancy F engraved in calligraphy on the center of the plates. F for Figaro, obviously.

   ~Mr. King Figaro. ~ Terra thought angrily, staring down at her delicious dish of some foreign fish that the cook had made and she hadn't touched out of lack of hunger. ~Mr. Hoity Toity You Should've Known Better Figaro. Mr. I've Mastered My Poker Face So Well I Won't Give the Time of Day to Terra Because She's Not Worthy of It!~ At every thought, she stabbed at her mysterious fish with more and more spite and anger, butchering the poor dead thing until it hardly even remotely resembled anything like fish.

  Mentally, Terra knew she was being unreasonable, but her anger was clouding her reason and common sense. Edgar hadn't shown a single sign, the slightest hint, of what he was feeling, or what he thought of Terra, and it infuriated her, how he could mask his emotions so well. Her mind was racing with possible thoughts that might be going through Edgar's own head. It wasn't fair, it wasn't her fault that she had a loud mouth, it came from hanging around such people like Locke and Relm and Gau and Sabin and Celes and Setzer and – she couldn't take any more of this quiet!

                  CLACKT.

     The Chancellor jumped up at the noise of a fork falling on a fine porcelain plate, jittery and shakey. Locke looked up, surprised at the noise and the abrupt movement of one pushing out of their seat and standing up. Terra stood, fists clenched and trembling, waiting and looking expectantly for Edgar. The said king slowly, slowly looked up, and locked eye contact with the furious half Esper. His eyes were dull and emotionless, as was his whole face and lack-of body language. Each seemed to be waiting for the other to make the next move. Eventually, Terra made an irritated noise out of her mouth and threw down her napkin. "I'm tired! I think I'll go retire to bed early, thank you for joining us Chancellor -"

   The Chancellor nodded. "Y-you're welcome, Lady Terra -"

 Terra cut him off. "And the dinner was delicious, Locke, would you mind sending the chef my regards?" Without waiting for an answer, she stomped up the stairs in a manner much like a little girl running to her room after her father refused to give her a pony.

  -----

            Setzer swore violently at the steering wheel, making Celes wince from below deck. "Bloody wind!" He cursed, quieter now, with a disgruntled frown on his face. Celes peeked her head up through the open trapdoor, blue eyes mildly disapproving, but also amused. 

"What's wrong, Setzer?" She asked, her body only visible to Setzer from neck up. He glanced back at her, and mentally jumped at the sight of her seemingly decapitated talking head, but façade remaining unruffled. "It seems Lady Luck isn't smiling down on us today, sweetheart. The wind's being a right old nasty prick, and there's something wrong with one of the top sails."

  "Can't we fix it?" The blonde ex-general heaved her entire body up the ladder and out of the sub deck. She crossed the distance that separated them and joined Setzer at his side by the wooden steering wheel.  

Setzer shook his head, his gray eyes thoughtful-looking. "As we're the only two people on this ship, I can't spare either of us. Its times like these I wish I knew enough skilled engineers that I could trust to mess around with my Falcon…but she doesn't really need a whole crew, she's far too advanced."

 "I can fix it. I _was in the Empire, and I know my share of knowledge about machinery." Celes said. _

"It'd take about 20 minutes to fix, and I can't risk losing my beautiful navigator for so long." Setzer quickly replied, to which Celes blushed and lost her words. Again. It was the effect that Setzer had on him, and she was never sure whether to curse it or welcome it. By 'it', she meant the feelings, of course… 

  Setzer sighed heavily, shaking Celes out of her thoughts. "The best we can do is just live with it. Of course, it'll add about an hour to our journey, thanks to the damn wind and screwy sails." 

Celes grinned, and Setzer glanced at her in the corner of his eyes.

 "What? What's so funny?" 

She shook her head, still smiling widely. "It's just…I never thought I'd hear the day you'd insult your ship, your pride and joy and object of love, Setzer Gabianni." 

 The two chuckled together, and Setzer flashed a toothy, sharming smile. "Well, it figures, doesn't it? After all, now that I have you, my choice of love objects have changed a bit. And I can't love you both equally – I may be a flirt and tease, madam, but I'm no Edgar Figaro." Celes laughed at the last part, but inwardly, her heart was pounding. Love? Already? It seemed to be going so fast… For the most part, they had been spending their time together talking and flirting with each other. Oh sure, there was the random instances of companionable silence that's chemistry would be broken by either one lunging at the other, and soon all jokes and friendliness would be forgotten as Setzer would delicately lift Celes up and carry her up the stairs to the bedroom, but that happened only on some nights, and was beside the subject. Still…she shivered in delight at the mere thought and memory of it; how Setzer held her so tenderly, like she was a soft, fragile object that could break. He held her as if she were a woman, and not a soldier. And she absolutely loved it, but loving him? Did she? _Could she? _

     As if Setzer could detect her sudden anxiety and emotions, he glanced at her again from his gaze at the sky ahead of them. "Is something wrong, Celes?" 

  She shook out of her trance, and smiling softly, walked behind Setzer. She wrapped her long arms around his narrow waist. Surprised at this spontaneous gesture of affection, Setzer removed his full attention from the steering wheel for once and craned his neck to look at the woman behind him. "Celes…?" 

   The said person sighed, and buried her face on the back of his neck, nearby the shoulder. His long, silky silver hair that even women envied, including Celes, entoxicated her mind with dreams and love songs and silly things that little girls obsessed over, not the great, and powerful General Celes, who was above such petty, mindless things. Always was, and always will be.

   "I uhb oo too." Her muffled words were felt and vibrated on his back. Setzer smiled to himself. The self-proclaimed ice queen had finally melted.

  -----

            Terra stared at the ceiling. It was past 12 'o clock already. Locke had already come by her room a while ago, and knocked on her door for a full 10 minutes. He had asked her, in that concerned voice of his that he reserved for most damsels in distress, if she had been okay. Terra rolled over onto her stomach, her eyes burning from lack of moisture and where tears should've been spilling out. No, she wasn't fine. She wasn't fine at all.

    Once again, she had been crying, noiselessly sobbing into her blankets and pillow. What was wrong with her? How could such a tiny thing as this make her fall apart like _this? She wasn't sure what it was – maybe it was just being back with Locke and Edgar and all of her old friends, and she felt overemotional from all the old feelings resurfacing with Locke, the thrill of waking up at dawn and feeling like it was just like old times, with her friends and escaping danger and death every time with companions to laugh about it. Maybe she had really become soft, being with babies and children for over 3 years. Most of her companions were more than 10 years older than her, with the obvious exception of Relm, Celes, and Mog and Umaro, whose ages were beyond their knowing. Terra sighed, blowing wisps of tawny green out of her face. It was just so fustrating, how Edgar wouldn't allow anyone, let alone her, to know how he was feeling. _

_It would be better_, Terra thought, _if he was terrifyingly angry or – or sad, or something! Anything but this…emotionless rock that won't let me in. Maybe he thought it was his kingly duty, Terra pondered, as to make sure not to worry anyone else of what he would believe are only his troubles. _Or maybe,_ and Terra grew mad again and angry tears leaked out, _he thinks I'm far too much of a burden, always having to rescue me and whatnot. _It was true, she couldn't blame him. But the thought of dear, sweet Edgar, having these additional problems to his already heaping bag of predicaments, and because of her, and shunning her for that… sometimes, she hated her logic._

     _I won't have it,_ Terra thought determinedly, springing out of bed. _I won't hang around Figaro; it's doing more harm than good. And I refuse to stay in a place where I'm not wanted… She shoved out all of the drawers, throwing the clothes out and piling them on the bed. In her rush and blind concentration, she halted abruptly when she saw an illuminating, beautiful satin red ribbon, plain and elegant lying lonesomely in the wooden drawer. Hand shaking, she picked it up, memories filling her mind as she did so. She smiled wistfully, remembering. It had been Relm's gift – her gift for her 21st birthday. As she stood holding the ribbon reminiscing, she closed her eyes. Celes had said admiringly how much older it made her look, and all of the guys had complimented it, though the only one she could particularly remember was Locke's. _

   Her eyes opened, and widened. That had been the day…

 The ribbon had lit on fire while she had been stuck in her dream-like trance. She blinked, and stared down, where flames were licking at her hands. Terra shrieked and threw it down to the ground. Horrified, she watched as it burned away to a faint glimmer. There had been fire, fire in her hands, and it hadn't even felt _hot. She collapsed to the ground, trapped in a state between shock and paralysis. _

            _What's happening to me…? With that last thought still lingering in her mind, she staggered up and lunged herself towards the bathroom, and vomited._

[2 years ago]

 -----

    "Open it up, Terra!" Relm said eagerly. Terra obeyed, and unwrapped the box to find a bright red satin ribbon, with a fringed tail and two golden stars studded at the end. 

"Ooh, Relm!" Terra said happily. "It's so beautiful!" 

Relm puffed up proudly. "Gramps felt good enough to help me pick it out that day." She said brightly. 

"How's he doing right now?" Edgar asked kindly, and Relm slouched slightly. 

"Well, he couldn't make it to here because he was in a lot of pain today." Relm stared gloomily into space until she brightened up again. "But he sends his regards to everybody, and says Happy Birthday to Terra!"

 "Thank you Relm, and tell Strago thanks too." Terra said. 

   "Put in on, Ter! We wanna see how good it looks on you." Sabin said cheerfully. Edgar immediately frowned. "Are you suggesting that something does _not look good on the goddess that is Terra?" _

Locke snickered, while the 'goddess', Celes, and Relm rolled their eyes, the latter with an agitated look on her face. 

"Maybe later," Terra said with a smile on her face. Gau leaped forward the next moment, holding a package wrapped in the skin of…something that Terra really didn't want to know, but it was sickly green and scaly. Her hands hesitantly unwrapped the wrapping, and what was inside was a rather pretty, if somewhat primitive looking shiny green stone, with flecks of blue and white and gold and other colors. It appeared that Gau had attempted to carve it himself into the shape of a heart – and he had succeeded halfway, roughly.

 "Thank you, Gau." Terra beamed at him, and he blushed, making Relm scoff haughtily and loudly. The adults exchanged amused glances among eachother, and Terra coughed softly. 

"Well, that's all of them! Everyone…thank you so much!" 

Sabin waved the comment off. "Oh, come on Terra, stop being all gushy on us. It's your birthday – you get special attention and all that."

  Terra fidgeted with Gau's gift in her hands. "Yes, but I've never celebrated my birthday before…in fact, none of us really know if this is my birthday! It's just the day I met Arvis and Locke." She said this, and added a half-hearted laugh to it, but they could tell the semi-sad air that had suddenly wrapped itself around her. Relm sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Mog hopped into her lap with a little 'Kupo!' Gau watched her with his lamp-like green eyes. 

  "Gau know how Terra feel!" He said. "Gau don't care. Day he met everyone in Narshe is Gau's birthday now!" Terra smiled, and felt herself warmed by all of her friends' love and concern. 

"Thank you, everyone." Terra said, blinking away the sudden fogginess in front of her eyes. Sabin suddenly elbowed Edgar, who 'oofed' and staggered into Locke.

 "Woops! Sorry, brother, I guess I underestimate my strength. But I was just thinking; you haven't given Terra her present yet!" Edgar, holding his side, stood up straight with the help of Locke, grinning sneakily in a pained manner. "I'm giving it to you later, Terra. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." He smiled charmingly, flashing his straight white teeth at her. 

  "Suddenly, I'm scared." Terra jested. Edgar pouted childishly while everyone laughed.

"What am I missing? Edgar making a fool out of himself again?" Setzer said amiably, appearing at their side without a noise. There was a hushed, dramatic silence, of course. Everything was dramatized when Setzer Gabianni was around to make an entrance.

 "Gahh!" Locke stumbled. "Geez! How do you do that?? You're not even a treasure hunter!" 

   Setzer winked. "It's a natural gift." 

"Setzer!" Terra beamed. "I thought you'd never join us!" 

 "Well, the wind's being a nasty bugger today, but I think I've calmed her down enough so that the steer can go without me for at least 15 minutes. Did you open my gift already?"

  "Yes, Setzer," Terra said with a placid look, holding up the lacey lingerie in one hand, "I did." 

Edgar pouted deeper. "How come he gets away with things like that, while I get hit by Celes?" 

 "Because Setzer has the substance to use it, while whenever you do it, it's just pathetic." Celes said dryly, making Locke and Sabin snicker and Edgar sink into one of the couches to sulk, however far away from Terra, Relm, and Mog. Meanwhile, Setzer swept a graceful bow to the woman.

 "I thank you, Celes, for standing up for me. I knew that my charm could get through you, but I didn't realize the extent to which you are flattered by it." Setzer quipped, and Celes flushed red. Locke harrumphed and crossed his arms moodily. 

    "You old people are sooo pathetic." Relm rolled her eyes, making Setzer turn white at being called 'old'. "The fireworks display is going to be on in about 10 minutes! Lets go, Terra!" The 13-year old girl said excitedly, tugging at Terra's arm. However, Edgar jumped up and halted her. 

  "No, I need to give Lady Terra her present! Cyan, what time is it?" Cyan, who was closest to the mechanical clock at the wall, gave a glance to it. 

 "Almost 6 'o clock." A mischievous glint came into Edgar's eye.

"Excellent! Just about time for sunset. Terra, will you join me to the deck? And all of you, don't come up here until I say it's okay!" Edgar yelled at the lot, but most specifically to Sabin and Locke, who crossed their arms, having the look of someone who had been planning something big and was severely disappointed. Edgar extended a hand to Terra, who hesitatingly took it. 

 "After you, m'lady." Edgar said smoothly. Suddenly, Terra frowned and shook her head, surprising Edgar.

"No, Edgar, I'd rather not. I'm wearing a skirt, and it'd be rather inappropriate. I'd much rather see you come up first." She said impishly. Edgar reddened, but as a gentlemen, yielded to her command. He walked up the ladder, hearing Terra follow him. She coughed discreetly, and Edgar could've sworn he heard a 'nice tush' from her mouth. 

        _She hangs around Sabin and Locke with their dirtied minds far too much._ Edgar thought sourly.

    Relm watched the two leave, and pouted huffily, having lost not only the person that was closest to her age and acted so, but the man she was to marry. Gau was watching Relm watch Edgar and Terra. 

 "Relm jealous?" Gau piped innocently. Relm gave him the evil eye.

"Don't even start, Gau. Don't even. I just…" She took a deep breath, and continued. "I just wanted to watch the fireworks with Terra, and now I'm stuck with all these old people." She nudged her head at the direction of the throng of people in the center of the room. It seemed Setzer was currently flirting with Celes, who was blushing and remaining stubbornly silent, while Locke stood at the corner watching them with an increasingly aggravated expression. Sabin and Cyan, old friends, were having a reunion and talking about things Relm was bored out of her skull by, like some girl named 'Lola' and rebuilding kingdoms and if someone should claim an empty throne and whatnot. She was momentarily interested when they spoke about Shadow, and where he was, but then the conversation turned to Thamasa, and Strago for some reason, by which Relm was bored by once more, having heard so many times the villagers gossiping in hushed tones as she walked by. Umaro and Mog were talking in their own language, so that was a no-go for eavesdropping. 

   "Relm want to go see fireworks?" Gau asked. Relm sighed, her tough attitude dropping for a moment. 

"Yes!" She moaned. "And now Edgar and Terra are probably having a little romantic smooch fest, and I'll grow up old and lonely and senile and dying like Gramps, and I'll forget I ever had a granddaughter or pretend that my daughter is still alive!" This was unlike Relm, who rarely ever spoke with emotion about Strago in his sick health, and never said directly how much she was enamored of the King of Figaro and how jealous she was of her friend Terra. Gau knew this, being a smarter boy than most took him for, and watched as Relm started to cry, slumped on the couch. She sniffled a bit, and then glared at Gau with a blotchy red nose and puffy eyes. 

 "What're you lookin' at?" She slurred. "Your eyes are like lamps. Stop starin' at me!" She tried to look away, but his bright, almost glowing, green eyes made her distracted and restless. 

 "Gau's father not know who Gau is." The boy said calmly, making Relm look blearily at him. "Father thinks Gau is monster, always. Gau thinks Relm should be grateful for ever having someone to be cared for at all." With that, he hopped/walked away to Sabin and Cyan to bother them with his usual techniques to annoy them. Or to just annoy Sabin, and have Cyan watch the two quarrel amusingly. 

    Relm sniffled for a final time, and stopped crying. "Stupid wild green jungle boy." She muttered sourly. 

  -----

            "Isn't the sunset magnificent, Terra?" Edgar said. 

   "Yeah," Terra sighed with comforted ease. What was uncomfortable, was the fact that Edgar was standing so close to her; she could feel his breath on her neck and ear, and it made her tense. 

  "Um…Edgar? Is this my gift?" The sound of that sentence sounded shockingly rude, and Terra quickly added, "It's very beautiful. Thank you." But Edgar merely laughed.

"No, no, Terra, this measly sunset isn't anything." He quickly turned solemn, and turned back to face the setting sun. "Terra, you know as king, I must continue the line of Figaros; I must produce an heir."

 "Oh." Terra said. This didn't sound good at all.

Edgar sighed. "I haven't found her yet; my true love. Sometimes I think I never will. I hate Sabin." He said bitterly, and Terra stared at him. "I envy him. I used that double-sided coin so he could be free, Terra. I knew that he would never be able to handle it, so I assumed I would. I never wanted to be king either, but… as the elder brother, I knew it was my responsibility.

   "As king…you meet many women. Not one of them has ever effected me as much as you, Terra." He turned his head, and Terra felt her stomach do a flop, not a flip, but a heartwrenching flop, when she saw his eyes, so blue and filled with emotion it startled her.  

 "I know that we are only friends, Terra. You could never feel for me the way Celes feels for Locke." At this sentence, Terra flushed slightly, and turned away so Edgar wouldn't be able to see how that comment had affected her. Edgar continued. 

   "And truth be told, I wouldn't call my feelings for you true love. There's something there, I'm certain of it, but it's not true love. But what I feel for you is the closest thing to it I've ever experienced." Edgar paused, and Terra heard his pockets rustling as he searched for something.

 "Ah, here we go. Terra, please look at me."

   And Terra looked, and she saw him knelting. Her mind raced frantically as she remembered how Katarin had told her so many times how Duane had proposed to her – knelting, taking her hand – 

 _Oh Goddess. He's taking my hand._ Terra thought as Edgar's gloved hand gently wrapped around her own. She wondered if Edgar could feel, through the white fabric of the glove, the cold, sweaty clamminess that was going all throughout her body. 

 "Terra, will you marry me?" 

    The ring was beautiful. Delicately shaped into a four-petal flower, with the center as a pink crystal, while the petals were white diamond and precisely curved. The band was silver, with an impossibly intricate design of engraved vines and leaves.

  But all Terra could do was look at Edgar in the eye with a sad, cheerless look on her face, and Edgar's hand turned limp and released Terra's hand, falling to his side. She bit her lip, unable to determine the look on Edgar's face. "Edgar, I -"

   "I know, Terra." Edgar said. "You love Locke." Terra stared at him wonderingly, and Edgar sighed in a fustrated manner. "I – I just thought that, perhaps, because Locke and Celes are together, you would've – would've given him up, and could move on…"

 "Locke and Celes aren't together." Terra said, taken aback. "Where on earth did you get that idea?" 

"The same place where I got the idea that, just maybe, you'd be able to fall in love with me." replied Edgar, staring at the dusky sky. The first star had appeared in the brilliant sky, painted with reds and purples and a rich orange hue from the residues of the sun. Terra turned his head back to face her.

        "Edgar, stop it." Terra said firmly. "You know that you are one of my dearest friends. I love you very much, but not like that. I never have. And quite frankly, you never cared."

  Edgar allowed a half-smile to break on his face. "You're right. But the Chancellor has been pressuring lately about the whole marriage fiasco lately, and all I want to do is flirt with the maids and run like a savage."

  "Edgar Figaro," Terra said crossly, "Since when were you ever pressured by a mere chancellor?" 

The attractive king grinned. "Since never. It's just… I always harbored a love for you, Terra. Though it might not be definitively called love, but it was there, lurking in my heart." 

 "I'm sorry." Terra said sincerely, and Edgar nodded. 

"I know."

   A silence spread over them, until the sun had finally set and complete darkness was cast on them.

"You should tell Locke soon, Terra." Edgar said quietly. "Or else live with the pain of what ifs."

 "I…I know. I will. Soon." Terra said.

 "Soon?"

Terra smiled. "Now." She kissed Edgar on the cheek, and began her trek on a journey to the other side of the ship, where Locke was. Edgar leaned against the balcony, absorbed in his own thoughts.

       "Let the fireworks begin." He whispered to himself.

  -----

            "Um…Gau?" Relm said timidly. Gau turned around with an expectant look on his face. The 13-year old girl was nervously fumbling with her own hands behind her back, and dug and twisted her toes into the ground in a shy manner that was peculiar of Relm Arrowny.

  "I acted stupid." Relm avoided eye contact with him. "I was being all… all…"

 "Self-pitying?" Gau provided for her, showing off his developed vocabulary with the time spent with Sabin. Relm prepared for a hissy fit, but bit it back and smiled wearily.

"And you've gone through a lot of crap in your life, while I had Gramps and everything, so…"

  "Sorry?"

 "Yeah." Relm smiled hesitantly. 

Gau grinned toothily now, shedding any hard feelings towards her almost immediately. "Relm go watch fireworks with Gau now?"

  -----

 "So what have you been doing for the past two years, Celes?" Locke asked, leaning languidly against the balcony with natural ease. The woman next to him was standing much more stiffly, looking straight ahead at the cold, vast sky. 

   "I went to the island to bring back Gran – Cid." Celes said coolly. Locke nodded amiably. 

"And?"

 "He died." Locke's arm slipped on the rail and he nearly fell over the airship.

"W-what?" The treasure hunter sputtered. "But – you said he was healthy and fully recovered!"

"Apparently not. It was a momentary recovery, and then he fell back to his bed, even more feverish." She said this in a rush, and then blanched with a painful, distressed look. "His body was in the bed when I found him… his face was so…white and pale." Her lip trembled, but she determinedly avoided Locke's pitying face.

  "I called out his name… and he wouldn't answer. I stayed there for 3 days." Her shoulders shook. "Sometimes, when I was there to help him, he'd fall into a coma that could last for days… so I kept on waiting. But when I touched him, he was...freezing." She bowed her head, angry tears dripping down her face. "He felt like death."

  Locke wrapped his arms around her, and she didn't protest. "Celes…"  

Her sobs grew louder. "I failed him, Locke. I failed him! I said I'd come back to help him, and it was too late! I …I killed him…"

 Locke let go of her and grabbed her shoulders, staring at her sternly. "You did no such thing, Celes. You already did all you could do to help him; it couldn't have happened any other way." 

  "But…" Celes sniffled.

"Rachel died for me, Celes. I blamed myself for the longest time, but I realized how stupid that was of me. That I just wrote Rachel's death off as a lost cause that was because of me, not a sacrifice of love. How can you undermine Cid's strength so much? He was an adult, Celes, and he could accept his death. And it's been 2 years since that happened. I know you're stronger than to just break down like this."

   Celes took a deep, shuddering breath, and allowed a weak smile. 

"It figures." She said sarcastically. "You make me feel better by berating me." 

  Locke laughed. "And it figures," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "that I'd mention Rachel, the former love of my life, while trying to make you feel better." A silence fell after that, lingering in a limbo between uncomfortable and comfortable.

 "So what have _you been doing for 2 years?" Celes asked quietly. Locke shrugged._

"Wandering around the world without much of an existence. I guess after defeating the ultimate evil, the world isn't in much need of heroes." 

    "Are you happy or unhappy because of that?" She said softly.

 Locke struggled for his answer. "I guess…unhappy. I always had a purpose, you know? And…I missed everybody. Terra, Sabin, Edgar…" He trailed off, and met Celes's pale blue eyes. "You." He hoped Celes would blush, but she didn't. He mentally cursed Setzer and his gift of wooing women, and realized it was a talent that would always have Setzer one-up on him forever. Damn.

  Celes observed him for a moment. "You haven't changed a bit." She remarked. Locke raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?"

   "Good." She said solemnly. "Good."

"Well, you're as beautiful as ever." Locke said slyly. "I suppose you have to beat the men off with a stick."  

Celes threw her long, silky hair to one side. "I suppose." 

 How that turned into the lead up to a kiss, Terra could not fathom. But she was half running, half skipping giddily, with a childish air, towards the two while their lips grew closer and closer. And she watched, struck with pangs of sadness, jealousy, anger, and shock as their faces met, and the fireworks blew up brilliantly in the sky. 

A/N: And THAT is why Terra, in 5 years worth of time, has never once told Locke her feelings for him! See? Isn't my reasoning grand? Well, here's some info that I won't bother explaining in other chapters: That kiss took place on Terra's 21st birthday, right? Locke and  Celes hadn't eeen eachother in 2 years, and their love was rekindled by that kiss. Two years later, Locke proposed, Celes accepted, then a year of engagement and planning for the wedding, and you know the rest. ^^ Now, aren't you proud of me? I updated! Woot! 


	9. Calamity

**Silent Tears**

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A/N: Me, abandon this fic? How could you even consider the idea?

Alright, I admit it. I wasn't really planning to update this story for a _looooong_ time. As in, it was waist-deep in 'hiatus'. I had pretty much forgotten the main storyline gist I had had lodged in my brain for so long while being distracted by other fics for which inspiration struck, I wasn't that interested in Final Fantasy VI fanfiction overall at that point in time, and the ideas just wouldn't come.

But something's changed, obviously, right? What made me decide to start this fic up again and breathe some life into it? For starters, it's nearly summer. This thing was updated back in November – right in the thick of the whole holiday lunacy and schoolwork burying me. This will free up a lot in my time schedule, although I confess that I will still be busy – I'm trying to find a tutor now that my mum's seen my horrible Math grades, the worst ever; I'll be training for soccer tryouts in fall; I'll be working on songs and my lacking guitar skills now that I've put together a band (for those who are interested, our name is The CONDOOM); I'll be trying to self-teach myself anger management skills to keep back from strangling my most hated evil cousin, who will be staying with us over the summer with my aunt; I am trying to cram in a year's worth of articulate French in preparation of the semester I'm spending abroad as an exchange student; and I impulsively signed up for summer kickboxing classes last month. On the bright side, I'm motivated for all these things, so I'm certainly motivated to do some fanfic updating.

Anyways, back to the fic: I'm really not kidding when I said I lost sight of the original plotline. I had this whole juicy soap opera-esque thing in plan… and now it's all just jumbled bits and pieces that I can't fit together. If anything, this chapter is like a boost to get my motor going, but I still tried to make it interesting for y'all. There is no reviewer response this time around, because I wouldn't know what to say to all of you besides a shameful, heartfelt I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SOOO SO SORRY for making you wait so long. You guys rock. No hyper sugar-high right now. No lame-arse bad jokes in between random rambling. This is from the bottom of my heart when I say this: Loveloveloverock…love.

Chapter 9: Calamity

"EDGAR!"

The king of Figaro quickly looked up, startled by the scream of his name. Behind the handsome thick wood of the oaken door, there was some cluttering and banging noises while guards yelled with indignation at being collided into, some stomping noises, and the door flew open with a slightly testy-looking treasure hunter standing there in its place, breathing hard through his nostrils.

"Yes, Locke?" Edgar asked demurely.

"Don't you 'Yes Locke' me," Locke hissed, traipsing in with a moody look. "This is important. Look!" And he thrusted a satin red ribbon under Edgar's nose. The king resisted the urge to coil back from the musty scent of burnt ashy cloth and smoke that encountered his nose immediately upon reaching it. He stared coolly back at Locke's angry face.

"Your point?"

"Terra's gone, Edgar." Locke roared, throwing the ribbon down onto the desk. "All of her stuff is gone, except for that ribbon! She left, because you were a swotty little asswipe to her instead of a supportive friend."

"There's no need for crude language," Edgar said curtly. "She left because her responsibilities in Mobliz were calling to her. She had said she would stay for 2 days, and kept true to her word."

"She **left** because you ignored her. She thinks you hate her. You treated her like the filth on the bottom of Sabin's boots. Couldn't you see how much she hurt from that?"

"There was no reason for her to think like that." Edgar replied. "I was upset at her actions, but only because she has greatly increased the possibility of harm towards herself. I'm afraid Terra blew things out of proportion, as she has been doing quite consistently as of late."

For a moment, Locke could do nothing but gape at her. "You…" He shook his head, and tried again. "If I'm not mistaken, I think she's not the only one who's _blowing things out of proportion._ God, why are you two doing this to each other?" Locke, frustrated, kicked at the trash bin that was settled next to Edgar's desk. Paper flew astray over the polished veneer of the finished floor, to Edgar's dismay.

"Doing _what_, exactly, Locke?" Edgar asked with a suggestion of agitation that had finally broke through and crept into his voice, no longer able to conceal.

Locke turned away from him, his shoulders hunched over slightly. Edgar saw his fists at his side, gripped and shaking with anger.

"You don't deserve her. You don't deserve her love." Locke whispered. Edgar stared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, for… you know exactly what I'm talking about!" Locke shouted. "Can't you see that? Why else would she act like this?"

"Because it's Terra. She gets hurt easily over these things. It's hard for her to conceal emotions."

"No, it's because she loves you. And I thought you loved her." Locke retorted.

"She doesn't love me. Terra's just emotional. Last time I checked, not every woman was like Celes." Edgar spoke in a steely voice. Locke froze and stiffened, the words hitting him like a ton of bricks. Mentally, Edgar instantly regretted them, but the resentment that had risen from Locke's accusations overcame any remorse.

"She doesn't love me." Edgar repeated bitterly. "For fuck's sake, I thought you knew that by now. Everyone else does. She loves **you**, you fool. Goddess knows that I hate that fact; that I wish I could change it. But she just always secretly lusted after you while you chased after Celes' skirt."

"But…but Terra…" Locke stuttered.

Edgar observed his long-time friend with something akin to pity. Or was it empathy? "If you're worried about the Kefkanians, don't be. I just got a telegraph from Narshe with news that Setzer left for Figaro. I have no doubt Terra is within his security now, flying off to Mobliz to her darling orphans." He stood up and shuffled some thick folders onto the desk to straighten the papers contained inside. "Now, if you excuse me, the Chancellor and I have matters to discuss concerning the Kefkanians' next move. You're welcome to join us. We'll be in the next room." He proceeded to make his way towards the side door and left Locke to himself. The thief looked around in a lost, childlike manner, and lumbered out, a mere shadow of his earlier, angrier self.

-----

Sabin stepped off the ship and inhaled the fresh air deeply, sighing with a content smile. The mountains north of South Figaro were nice enough, but they lacked the meditative purity and tranquility that few places other than Thamasa could offer. Here, there was open air, grassy plains, cliffs, mountain ranges, and caves. There was pretty much every geographic setting that existed in this one tiny point. It was a perfect place to train.

"Man, I missed this place." He said to himself, while behind him, Gau struggled with the pieces of luggage he was juggling in his stringy arms. Without looking back, Sabin clapped Gau hard on the back friendly-like, making Gau stumble and the luggage spill all over the dock.

"I guess you were right, Gau! This was a good idea. Come on, lets get going." Sabin lifted the one luggage that had managed to remain in Gau's arms and hefted it above his head with ease. He paraded onwards, while the younger man groaned and began collecting the suitcases together again.

Thamasa was the same that it had always been. The sun shined down brilliantly upon the quaint little town, making everything seem warm and bright and lovely. The innocence was seemingly unbroken by the loss and rise of the rest of the world, as if Thamasa was a separate world of its own. Its peace and serenity would seem completely uncorrupted by the taint of blood and death, if it weren't for the one single grave located north on the very outskirts of the cozy town.

"There's the inn!" Sabin shouted back towards where Gau still clamored for one more trunk, and purposefully strode towards the sturdy building. He reached for the brass doorknob and found it…

"Locked?" Sabin said with surprise. He knocked on the door. "Excuse me? Hello?"

There was the sound of a various range of locks being unhooked, and the door tremulously crept open, revealing a single, bulgy, fearful eye.

"Yes?" The disembodied eye stared up at the strapping blonde man with suspicion.

"Er… this **is** the inn, right?" Sabin asked hesitantly.

"That is correct."

"Great!" Sabin smiled. "If you don't mind…"

"We are not accepting service from foreigners any more. Sorry." The door abruptly shut. Sabin blinked, dumbfounded at the strangeness of it all. Then, annoyance took over. He began pounding on the door.

"Hey! What kind of inn is this if they refuse fair and equal service to all customers, eh?! This is an outrage! Come ON!"

"What going on?" Gau staggered towards his master.

"It's 'What is going on', Gau. And the damn innkeeper won't let us stay! At his **inn**! Which is _what they're meant for, in case anyone forgot_?" Sabin yelled the last part out directly to the door. It went ignored.

Gau scratched his pale hair cluelessly, and grinned. "Let go -"

"**Let's go -"**

"Let's go see Relm and ask her!" Gau proposed excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Just try to review that list of contractions Lana gave you last week. Yeesh." Sabin followed Gau, who now scrambled towards the Arrowny mansion with a reinvigorated speed that had been completely absent earlier.

Gau raced up the steps where the handsome, large house was, and lifted a gangly arm to use the silver knocker, but suddenly hesitated and stilled himself. He turned away and sheepishly faced Sabin, who arched an eyebrow questioningly.

"Euh… how does Gau look?" Gau asked, with a twinge of hopefulness in his voice. His green-tinged white blonde hair was mussed up and flattened in some areas from the damp air of the ship. His tunic was spectacularly wrinkled and crinkly. And he couldn't smell any better than Sabin was.

"Great." Sabin said feebly. Gau beamed and quickly turned around again to knock at the door, but found his arm in midair when the door flew open to reveal the teenaged Relm Arrowny.

"Gau!" Relm exclaimed, trying hard to keep the pleasure out of her voice. After all, it would do no good for him to think she had feelings for him. Relm was not one to lead a boy on. It was Edgar she wanted. "What are you doing here? Oh, and Sabin! Is Edgar here?"

Sabin shook his head. "No, no, he's still trapped in the castle, poor guy. We're here to hone our skills for a bit. You know, practicing and training and all."

"Oh." Relm said, disappointment clearly displayed on her face. Gau cleared his throat.

"Something wrong at inn." He said to change the subject.

"Oh yeah, that." Relm said disgustedly. "Ugh, these stupid people. How paranoid can they get?"

"What do you mean?" Sabin said curiously.

"Well, come on in and sit down." She stood back to allow Sabin and Gau inside, and closed the door while they seated themselves at the table. Gau surveyed the house. It was in a complete disarray; much more disorganized than when Strago had been around. Random canvases were strewn about on the floor and the couch while even more numerous pieces of paper were crumpled and lying on the ground, which was almost completely covered by newspapers and splotches of paint and paint containers.

"Here, have some tea." Relm thrusted two cups at Sabin and Gau. Sabin cautiously peered at the contents of the mug.

"Er, Relm… this is paint turpentine."

"Oh! Heheh, whoops." Relm said. Gau had already chugged down about half of the liquid. Both Relm and Sabin stared at him.

"Isn't that stuff… um… not healthy… for humans?"

Relm scratched her head. "Well, yeah. So I wouldn't worry too much about him. Anyways," She settled down into a seat of her own with the two men. "Some Kefkanians came here one or two nights ago. A tiny lot of them – nothing really to worry about." She rolled her eyes.

"Kefkanians?" Sabin said, surprised. "That's…"

"Weird. I know." Relm interjected. "Anyways, they rallied up at the inn with some torches, and everybody was freaking out, even though there were hardly enough to instigate a riot." She reached up to pull the pencil out of her hair, which was wrapped around it in a complicated bun. The blonde curls tumbled out from her crown. She seized some of them and rubbed at her skull in an attempt to massage it, looking weary.

"There was nothing violent. I think most of them were drunk. All they did was trash the inn quite a bit and run around screaming about Kefka and rebirth." Relm blew some stray strands from her eyes. "Hardly anything to worry about. But then, this is **Thamasa**."

Sabin thoughtfully stroked his chin. "Still, though, Relm. Those Kefkanians never make a scene unless there's a purpose. I think you should report this to Edgar or somebody. It might be important."

"I guess." Relm stared out at empty space, while Gau idly sipped at his turpentine. Sabin watched as Relm's long, artist fingers flex and curl.

"Something else happened, didn't it?" Sabin asked quietly.

"They tried to take a baby hostage." Relm blurted out not even a second later. Sabin and Gau stared at her in shock.

"I had to beat the stupid freak away with a broom. He dropped her to the floor. So that made me kind of pissed off. Then he sort of…came at me… and I took someone's sword and…"

"You killed him?" Sabin said.

Relm swallowed a lump in her throat. "It went right through his chest."

Gau watched Relm's face carefully. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't cry. At least, she wouldn't allow herself to, especially in front of other people. "Relm…"

"I'll go talk some sense into that innkeeper." Sabin got up and rested his hand on Relm's shoulder for a moment before leaving.

"Relm -"

"I never killed someone. Not like that. I don't have the stomach for that kind of stuff. Goddess… I wish I had my magic back. My art was different. I was able to never have to touch a weapon." Relm stared guiltily down at her hands.

Gau reached forward and took her artist hands into his. They sat there like that until Sabin returned. But not before Relm sniffed and recoiled in disgust. "Ugh, what IS that smell?"

-----

Setzer glanced at the barometer and grimaced. The levels were far too high for his comfort. He sighed and raked his thick, silvery hair with a thin, pale hand.

"It's times like these when I wish I had a crew who was as talented as me at piloting so I'd be able to trust them to handle my love." Setzer mumbled to himself, shuffling off and around the steering wheel to maneuver the leverages.

"Is the beau being difficult again, Setzer?" Celes said deviously, appearing from the stairs and leaning against the metal railings. Setzer rolled his eyes at her juvenile teasing and scoffed.

"The beau is being fine, General Celes. Although I do wish, what with all the work I put into her, that she'd put out one of these days."

"Goodness, are you saying that the routines she's been performing haven't been considered worthy?"

"No, no. I'm saying that those performances are not quite top-notch and up to maintenance, I'm afraid."

"You horrible man," Celes thwacked him on the back of his head. "You've better be joking!"

Setzer winced and delicately massaged the tender spot where Celes had hit him.

"Goddess, that hurt! Is this what men get for being infatuated with you? Getting smacked upside the head? No wonder Locke's so scatterbrained these days!"

"Shut up!" Celes laughed, ignoring the sly Locke comment that Setzer snuck in there. She raised her arm to smack him again, but he was too fast for her. He seized her uplifted arm and trailed his mouth up, decorating it with sweet kisses while Celes giggled girlishly, eventually reaching her neck and then up to her cheek. Celes melted into his frame and leaned forward, her breath hushed as she eagerly pounced on him to taste his mouth, when Setzer stood back and glanced at the navigator.

"Oof! We're here!" He dashed towards the steering wheel and madly scrambled for his leather piloting gloves. Celes sighed in disappointment and walked towards the front of the ship, where the impressive Figaro castle loomed into view below the clouds. She gathered the coat around her shoulders closer and shivered. The air had suddenly turned cold, as if predicting the outcomes of what lay ahead in that castle.

"I wish I didn't have to do this." Celes murmered.

"To wish so would mean to wish that you had never fallen into my arms that day in Narshe, quite literally." Setzer called out from his position behind the wheel. Celes ducked her head and discreetly smiled to herself, her cheeks hurting from grinning like crazy. She just couldn't take the smile off her face. She had never felt so happy in her life, being with Setzer.

_I never wanted to hurt Locke… I just…_ But her thoughts slipped away from her when she felt Setzer's arms wrap around her waist, and they attached themselves to each other as _The Falcon_ slowly and smoothly glided down to a stop upon the desert soil of Figaro.

-----

"Setzer! Celes! So good to see you both again." Edgar warmly greeted his two companions at the front of the stone castle as the two tall figures walked down the ramp leading from the airship. Locke stood back at the doors uncomfortably, trying to smile nonchalantly and failing.

_He's acting as if he hasn't seen them for years, _thought Locke sulkily. But as always, the treasure hunter was malleable about these things – if the king of Figaro was going to ignore that anything had gone wrong in the past week, then so be it.

Celes, however, did not seem as guilt-free as and much more conscientious than the king. She stood uneasily below Locke, who leaned against the wall, wringing her hands nervously in a very Terra-like fashion. She chanced a glance back at Setzer, who merely nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. This seemed to ease Celes well enough, who straightened her already pin-straight back and turned around with the typical determined ex-general look that graced her features. This made Locke's blood boil, but he hid it very well and assumed a 'poker face', as Setzer would've called it.

Celes and Locke stared at eachother. Surprisingly, Locke broke the silence.

"Hello, Celes." Locke smiled cheerily at the shocked woman. "Had a nice honeymoon?"

Celes winced. Snide, poison-covered comments, she had anticipated. The cheery, absolutely unruffled demeanor that Locke was displaying, however, was a bit more unexpected. There hadn't been even an ounce of sarcasm, mockery, or contempt in those words.

"Er… fine, Locke." She said unsurely. "You?"

"Exquisite." He smiled warmly then at Setzer, who did a sort of mini double-take at being spoken to. "How about you? What's this talk I hear of a new airship, eh?"

"Oh." Setzer thought for a moment, and realized that the sentence had no trace of accusation or scorn, and contained the word 'airship'. He visibly brightened like a light bulb and shot off.

"Brilliant! The ship designers are absolute buffoons though; they have no grasp on my ingenious plans, so I have to constantly supervise the dolts; completely incompetent, I tell you… the other day I had specifically ordered them to get the 3F-type oil for the rig at the northwest corner of the engine room – remember Cyan always gawking at the thing? Yes, well, the bungling supplies director had ordered 3C instead, and sent it down to the third chute for the velocity emission tank, which doesn't handle type-oil very well at all! So now I have an absolute mess inside the engine room, and I'm having issues with the designers concerning the mandatory casino within the lower deck – because, come on, you MUST have a casino in the airship, it's asinine to even think otherwise -"

Locke interjected tiny little comments here and there while Celes stood faithfully by Setzer's side. Edgar stared dumbfoundedly, and shook his head a bit to himself. _Brilliant bastard. He's completely hiding any signals of hurt or jealousy. Goddess, if Celes and Setzer knew what he was like two nights ago. Completely broken like an old toy with Terra mothering him…_

"Er, Setzer?" Edgar interrupted. Locke looked curiously at him; Celes looked relieved at the disruption; and the actual man that had been addressed was completely deaf and rambled on, rapidly turning blue from lack of oxygen. Celes nudged him sharply with her elbow, and Setzer gasped in pain.

"W-what?" Setzer wheezed out.

"Where's Terra?"

Setzer stared at him. "What do you mean? Isn't she still staying with you?"

Edgar's hands immediately felt sweaty in zero seconds flat. Locke stared wide-eyed at him while Edgar attempted to speak in coherent sentences.

"I…I mean… surely you encountered her upon a chocobo in the desert? You couldn't have missed her. Or have you already dropped her off at Mobliz?"

"No, as you said, we wouldn't have missed her if she had been roaming around here." Celes stared at him as well. "Why? Is something wrong, Edgar? I'm sure she's quite capable of handling herself alone."

"Do you think I should go search for her?" Setzer proposed, looking concerned. He paused, and collected himself. "Wait! I just remembered – I don't care what you think! I better get searching, then."

Celes frowned. "Are you sure she just didn't go to South Figaro? Perhaps she went off to the northwest forest region."

"But for what? There'd be no reason for her to!" Edgar exclaimed. Celes ran off to follow Setzer.

"Wait! Setzer! I'm going with you!"

Locke stepped forward. "Me too."

Celes stopped abruptly, and uncharacteristically bit her lip. "Locke? But...um… it'd just be you, me, and Setzer… I think you should stay with Edgar, he'd be all alone…"

"No, it's fine, I'll go with you all as well." Edgar stepped forward with a somber face. "I can't help feeling I am partly responsible for this whole mess."

Locke roughly cuffed him in a friendly manner. "Shut up, Edgar. Don't feel guilty."

Edgar shook his head. "You yourself said this morning…"

"Gah, you never listen to me. Don't start now." Locke, with his hand on Edgar's shoulder, began steering the both of them towards the airship. Celes stared after the two men curiously, and shrugged, deciding that she would get it out of them later, following them.

Edgar grimly grinned, glanced back at Celes, and hurriedly lowered his voice. "Locke, about what I said… about Terra… you see -"

"Don't worry. I completely understand." Locke said. "Terra loves me. I've always known she loved me, Edgar. She has that wonderful mothering nature about her, you know. Don't give up hope. It's not too late for you. I can tell. I get it."

"No, no, I don't think you do…" Edgar started, but was cut off by the Chancellor, who had burst through the doors just in time to see _The Falcon_ take flight. His debonair hat was swept off by the harsh wind. "King Edgar!! WAIT! Where are you going?!"

"To find Lady Terra! Don't worry! We'll come back soon with her, safe and sound!" Edgar yelled down. The Chancellor waved his arms hysterically, but Edgar took it wrong and merely waved a friendly goodbye as the airship sped off to the distance.

The Chancellor stared down worriedly after the zeppelin, which was quickly decreasing in size to become a miniscule dot upon the horizon.

"Oh dear… now what should I do?"

-----

A/N: FINALLY! Some action! I might have to change the genre soon, as from here on out to the end of the fic, this is going to get a deal bit more action-y. But still romance-y! And you must be kidding if you think I'm going to lighten up on the angst. NO. I love my angst. The last bit of the chapter was a bit rushed, as you can probably tell, but it was just to get out the next one. The new B-story: Sabin and Gau over at Thamasa with Relm. Anything I write that is about them is just as important as the rest of the stuff, because they are now vital to my plot. Yes, this is a new development. I told ya I forgot the plotline. So I might as well make up a new one, right? g


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